Many thanks to Greece for Support against Anti-Israel flotilla

[muman613]

I was thinking that Greece was very nice for stopping the flotilla of fools from setting sail to break the blockade of Gaza. I guess I am not the only one thankful for this. Today when I was reading Carl in Jerusalems blog IsraelMatzav he has the following article posted:


http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2011/07/greece-is-hero-but-why.html#links

Greece is the hero, but why?

Greece has been the hero over the last two weeks, essentially killing the flotilla of fools. Those of you who have been reading this blog are probably not surprised - you already know that in the aftermath of the Mavi Marmara, Israel made a conscious effort to improve relations with Greece, which has included joint military exercises and expanded trade and tourism. But for those of you who are new to this blog, here's a quick summary.

    Greece and Israel have become very much closer recently and some of that surely is the result of Turkey making what appears to be a strategic decision to enhance its ties with Iran and Syria over Israel and the West. Considering an international fact that disturbs them both, Greece and Israel appear to have decided to consider their options. In addition, Israel has escaped the ruinous economic problems of other countries - there is no lack in Greece of appreciation for Prime Minister Netanyahu's economic prowess as Finance Minister and the resulting strong Israeli economy. Israel needs friends in the Mediterranean and a partner for military, search and rescue and other operations that coordinate with NATO - if Turkey can't be the partner, Greece can.

    The Greek-Israeli rapprochement is actually the result of only a strategic few people in each country over the past year looking around at the threats and problems, and deciding that Western countries have the most in common and the most to gain from cooperation.

    Maybe coincidentally, maybe not, the UN has given copies of its report on the Mavi Marmara flotilla incident of 2010 and it is Turkey - not Israel - that is unhappy with the findings. Israeli government sources say the report criticizes the Turkish government and highlights the relationship between it and the IHH, and while the UN does find that Israeli commandos used "excessive force," it also accepts Israel's contention that they acted in self-defense.

    The demise of the 2011 flotilla isn't the end of the diplomatic crises Israel faces - but it is a welcome success engendered by willingness of the Greek government to do the right thing. A few more such successes (including the increasing international understanding that accepting "Palestine" as a UN member outside the normal channels is a bad idea) and Israel may find itself - a Western, liberal, democratic country - in the company of like-minded others, worrying about the future we all face.

    During the 2011 JINSA Flag & General Officers Trip, Lieut. Gen. Benny Ganz, IDF Chief of Staff, told the participants, "Don't forget - this is the edge of the Western world; then it becomes the East." We are happy - and not surprised - that Greece has assimilated the message.

The top flag in the picture is Greece's, the bottom one is Cyprus' flag - another country with which Israel has improved relations over the past year.


I guess I should apologize to ProJewGreekChristian because I think we disagreed concerning Greeces support of Israel. I guess I was wrong..

[Dr. Dan]

While I would appreciate the gesture, it's kind of sad that the israelis didn't set a real example of the type of brutality the first flotilla deserved.  Israel should not rely on other nations.  They should have sunk the first flotilla.

[muman613]

While I would appreciate the gesture, it's kind of sad that the israelis didn't set a real example of the type of brutality the first flotilla deserved.  Israel should not rely on other nations.  They should have sunk the first flotilla.

True... I would have supported that...

[mord]

Great Job by Greece

[syyuge]

A fine act of harmony.

[IsraeliGovtAreKapos]

Nazi Greece has murdered virtually all of its Jews in the Nazi Holocaust. Now you're thanking the Greeks just because they want to use us for their own interests?

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Gee that's smart of the israelis, pick the most bankrupt country in europe and try to befriend them.  And expect their somehow going to help you fight your enemies while they have a natl crisis going on.

[cjd]

Nothing against the Greek people but Greece has been a non player in the global picture for some time now... It was little more than a vacation destination for some folks and even as that it was not high on the list.

[Yaakov Mendel]

Nazi Greece has murdered virtually all of its Jews in the Nazi Holocaust. Now you're thanking the Greeks just because they want to use us for their own interests?

I agree with you that the latest gesture by the Greeks should not be naively interpreted as evidence of a true support for Israel.
But I think it is not fair to say that Greece willingly took part in the Shoah. The situation of Greece during WWII is quite similar to that of France. Greece was militarily defeated and conquered by Nazi Germany and occupied by the Axis powers.  It had no sovereignty any more. There wasn't much the Greeks could do. A minority of Greeks collaborated with the Nazi occupiers but the majority of the Greek population did not support the Nazis and did not want the Jews to be murdered. As in France, there were efforts by the local population to hide and save Jews and entire villages and towns were destroyed and their residents slaughtered by the Nazis as punishment for their resistance in WWII. Unfortunately, many fewer Jews could be saved than in France.