"The alliance with Israel has become a burden"? The Turkish-Qatari campaign versus the reality in Greece
Turkish and Qatari-affiliated media outlets are attempting to portray the alliance between Israel and Greece as a burden on Athens, leveraging anti-Israel protests in the Greek street. A Maariv investigation reveals that despite the campaign and genuine demonstrations, the Greek government is deepening its security cooperation with Israel, including the acquisition of a multi-layered defense system in a deal estimated at 2.8 to 3.1 billion euros.
Media outlets in Turkey and the Qatari-affiliated sphere, including Middle East Eye, TRT, and Habertürk, are running a media campaign that portrays the alliance between Israel and Greece as a burden on Athens. The campaign relies on anti-Israel protests in Greece, including demonstrations against Israeli tourists, and presents the security cooperation as turning Greece into a 'satellite of Israel.' However, a Maariv investigation reveals that the Greek government is actually deepening the relationship: in July, Greece approved a plan to equip itself with the multi-layered defense system 'Achilles Shield,' centered on Israeli systems, in a deal estimated at 2.8 to 3.1 billion euros. Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis called the rioters targeting Israeli tourists a 'wretched minority' and urged Israelis to continue coming. The article notes that a Pew survey cited by MEE, claiming 65% of Greeks 'oppose the partnership,' is inaccurate: the survey measured a negative opinion of Israel, not opposition to the strategic alliance.