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Reflecto News | Breaking News | Middle East & Europe
ATHENS — U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has issued a stark warning to Greece, cautioning that the country is being “used” by Israel to advance its regional geopolitical objectives and that Athens’ fears and insecurities about Türkiye are being deliberately exploited .
Speaking at an event in Athens, the international law expert offered a blunt assessment of the burgeoning military and diplomatic ties between the two nations, suggesting the relationship is not one of equal partnership.
“You think that you have chosen Israel… I don’t think so. Israel has chosen you, and it’s going to exploit your fears and your insecurity.”
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories
🎯 The ‘Fear of Türkiye’ as a Lever
Albanese identified Greece’s long-standing strategic rivalry with Türkiye as the primary lever Israel is using to deepen its influence in the Eastern Mediterranean. She argued that Israel is well aware of Athens’ concerns over Turkish naval activity and airspace violations and is leveraging those fears to secure Greek cooperation on military basing, intelligence sharing, and diplomatic support.
The UN rapporteur warned that by aligning too closely with Israel, Greece risks being dragged into conflicts that are not its own, particularly if tensions between Israel and Iran or Hezbollah escalate further. She called for more “balanced” Greek diplomacy in the region, including closer ties with Arab states that have criticized Israeli policies in Gaza and the West Bank.
🤝 Greece-Israel Relations: A Fast-Growing Axis
Over the past decade, Greece and Israel have significantly upgraded their military and diplomatic cooperation. Key pillars of the relationship include:
- The annual “Hellenic-Israeli” military air force drills
- Joint naval exercises in the Eastern Mediterranean
- Israel’s deployment of drone technology and air defense systems to Greek islands
- Diplomatic coordination at the UN and EU forums
Albanese is concerned that this growing military cooperation is not just defensive but could be used offensively in a future confrontation with Iran or its proxies in the region.
📜 The UN Rapporteur’s Mandate and Controversial Stance
Francesca Albanese is the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, not a diplomat for the Greek or Israeli governments. She has been a vocal critic of Israeli policies, and her mandate focuses on Palestinian human rights, not NATO alliances. Her lecture in Athens is part of a European outreach campaign to discuss her recent report, which accused Israel of “genocide” in Gaza — a charge Israel vehemently denies.
The Greek Foreign Ministry has rejected Albanese’s characterization, describing the UN official as “biased against Israel” and stating that “Greece chooses its own alliances based on national security and economic interests, not at the behest of any foreign power.”
🇮🇱 Greece’s Response: ‘Our Alliance is Based on Mutual Interest’
A Greek diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Albanese’s comments “fundamentally misunderstand” the nature of the Greek-Israeli partnership.
We have shared interests with Israel regarding energy security (gas exploration), tourism, and defense against regional threats. There’s no exploitation. We are not puppets.
However, Albanese’s warning has gained traction in some academic and left-wing political circles in Greece, which have long argued that Athens should adopt a more “neutral” stance in the Middle East to avoid becoming a target of Iranian retaliation.
Follow Reflecto News for continuous updates on this developing story and all breaking news from the Middle East and Europe.
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