Greek Minister: Israel Alliance Guards Greece Against Türkiye

Greek Health Minister and New Democracy deputy leader Adonis Georgiadis said on Monday that Greece's strategic alliance with Israel "guarantees the freedom of the Greek state" against "the Turkish threat, or any other threat," calling it "a very important matter."

He made the remarks in Greek parliament while responding to Communist Party (KKE) MP Vasilis Metaxas, who had criticized him for prioritizing the Israel alliance over health policy.

A New €3-3.5 Billion Defense Deal

Georgiadis's comments came the same day Defense Minister Nikos Dendias signed the "Achilles' Shield" agreement in Tel Aviv, under which Israel will build Greece a multi-layered air defense, ballistic missile defense and anti-drone system valued at roughly €3-3.5 billion.

The system includes Rafael's SPYDER and David's Sling and IAI's Barak MX, with Greek industry contributing about 25% including source-code transfer; full operational capability is expected in about 35 months.

It marks the largest defense agreement in Israel-Greece relations to date.

"We Serve the Greek People, Not the Palestinian People"

Georgiadis directly addressed criticism from the left, including summer protests by the KKE against Israeli ships and tourists at Greek ports, which he called "puppet shows."

He said: "We will continue this strategic alliance because it serves the interests of the Greek people - not the Soviet, communist, proletarian or Palestinian people. We are here for the Greek people. And the Greek people consider the alliance with Israel to be a very important thing."

He added that "building this strategic alliance with Israel is something that every Greek who has a brain should applaud."

A Long-Standing Position

Georgiadis has for years been one of the most outspoken advocates of close Greece-Israel ties, previously calling Jerusalem a "Jewish city" and describing Israel as Greece's "main strategic partner against Türkiye."

He apologized in 2017 for having promoted an antisemitic book during his time with the LAOS party, and has since become one of Europe's most vocal pro-Israel voices, criticizing international courts over the Gaza war while often framing Palestinian solidarity as "leftist/Islamist propaganda" or pro-Turkish.

Regional Tensions in the Background

Greece-Israel relations have strengthened since the 2010s across successive governments over energy, defense, technology and shared interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, with Türkiye’s growing regional influence and amid disagreements over Cyprus, the Aegean, and Ankara’s Blue Homeland doctrine.

The KKE and left-wing opposition have called the new defense agreement a decision that accelerates "war preparation" and ties Greece more closely to NATO and US plans.

Turkish officials have said they are monitoring Greece-Israel military cooperation closely and have prepared for "every scenario, including crisis, tension or war."