The Athens Policy Dialogues held recently in the Greek capital featured engaging and candid discussions with policymakers, think-tankers, and leading journalists from Greece, other European countries and the wider Middle East, including Egypt, Israel, and Turkiye.
Notably missing were speakers (apart from yours truly) from the Gulf, or the US for that matter. Of course, neither Saudi Arabia or the US are part of the Eastern Mediterranean. Still there was barely a session that did not mention both or either country one way or another.
I say this as an eye-opener for politicians across Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Gulf; a reminder of where paths have always been and will continue to be intertwined — now more than ever.
A major theme during the two-day event was the recent events in Gaza, and the subsequent Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit. This is unsurprising given that what happens in the Middle East affects Greece perhaps sooner than it does other European countries. Previous crises in Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Lebanon are evidence of this.
On that note, it was not surprising that Konstantinos Tasoulas, president of the Hellenic Republic, highlighted in his opening remarks that “Greece, due to its position on the frontline of developments, even if it had wanted to, it could not remain outside the storms that shook the region.”
What was surprising though, and slightly disappointing for me as an observer, was that while Tasoulas praised the long and strategic relationship Athens enjoys with Israel, it may have slipped his mind to highlight the importance of the rapidly improving Saudi-Greek ties, and indeed, the good it could bring for the Eastern Mediterranean.
A country that wants international law to be adhered to, opposes illegal occupations, and wants to protect Christians in the Middle East, must surely give the current Israeli government more tough love as a close ally.
Faisal J. Abbas | Editor-in-Chief
I say this for several reasons. First, not only is the Kingdom an actual strategic ally (along with the US, France, and a few others); but with the continued alignment of Vision 2030 and Greece’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Greece 2.0), the relationship is promising to be a “game-changer” for Athens, as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said during his 2022 visit to the Greek capital, when projects such as the East to Med data corridor were announced.
For the president not to echo in Athens what his Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said only 11 months ago during a visit to Saudi Arabia — that the Kingdom “is a strategic partner for Greece and the EU, and a key player for stability and prosperity in the entire region” — was slightly odd.
Now, do not get me wrong. This is not an either-or argument, and in recent years Riyadh has proven to the world how it can receive a red carpet treatment in Washington, the Kingdom’s primary strategic ally, while also maintaining excellent ties with China and Russia. At the same time it can also develop a working relationship with Iran — all of which have been used to de-escalate tensions and stabilize the region.
I say odd because during his keynote speech, Tasoulas criticized “longstanding problems that continue to create instability and undermine any effort at cooperation,” and called for an end to illegal occupations and for world order to be respected.
Yet in the same speech, emphasizing the strength of the relationship with Israel, he also acknowledged that its response to the Oct. 7 terror attacks was disproportionate, and briefly hinted that Greece supports a two-state solution when the time is right.
Of course, neither Saudi Arabia nor the US are part of the Eastern Mediterranean. Still, there was barely a session that did not mention both or either country one way or another.
Faisal J. Abbas | Editor-in-Chief
However, a country that wants international law to be adhered to, opposes illegal occupations, and wants to protect Christians in the Middle East must surely give the current Israeli government more tough love as a close ally.
Why tough love with Israel? Well, in his own words, the president said the Israeli response was disproportionate. Legal and even Holocaust experts, along with UN committees, have described what occurred in Gaza as a genocide, and in the West Bank, more settlements and harassment are risking the lives not only of Muslim Palestinians but also Christian ones, according to Rev. Munther Isaac of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. “In the West Bank, many Palestinian Christian families have already left out of fear.
They look at what was happening in Gaza and they think, ‘could this happen to us one day?’ It is impossible to thrive as a community in the midst of conflict, oppression, and occupation,” he said in an interview with Arab News.
And why do I argue that the president should have highlighted Riyadh specifically? Just look at what the Kingdom and America managed to achieve in recent months. Closer coordination has led to steps toward regional stability by lifting sanctions on Syria — turning Damascus from foe to friend and a member of the coalition against Daesh — and encouraged Washington to intervene in a bid to stop the war in Sudan.
Greece can also play a role. It has exceptional soft power and no colonial history in the Arab world. It could be a member of the International Stabilization Force, using its proximity to Israel to convince the Israelis to accept adhering to a path to a two-state solution.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by default is an outward-facing plan, and we will rely heavily on our partners and friends, especially strategic ones, to help build not only cities, World Cup venues, and Expo 2030 landmarks, but more importantly, an integrated, peaceful, and prosperous region.
- Faisal J. Abbas is the Editor-in-Chief of Arab News. X: @FaisalJAbbas