Israel Deputy Foreign Minister Visits Athens to Strengthen Ties with Greece

Israel's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sharren Haskel said Greece-Israel relations are flourishing after she completed a three-day diplomatic and economic mission to Athens. The visit aimed to deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries with emphasis on infrastructure projects, energy cooperation, regional connectivity and security.

Haskel served as a keynote speaker at the Maritime Med conference and the East Med Energy Transition Summit. She held a series of high-level meetings with senior Greek government officials. In those discussions Haskel presented Israel's commitment to advancing large-scale regional infrastructure projects, most notably the Great Sea Interconnector.

The Great Sea Interconnector is a planned subsea electricity cable that would link the electricity grids of Israel, Cyprus and Greece to mainland Europe. Haskel also emphasized the importance of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor trade route, describing it as a cornerstone for global economic stability.

"Recent months have proven beyond a doubt that we cannot rely on trade routes or energy sectors that are vulnerable to radical and irresponsible actors," Haskel said. "Dependency on hostile coalitions is a tangible danger to the entire free world. " She stated that Israel is becoming a reliable and central energy hub that will ensure regional prosperity and serve as a critical pillar of Europe's energy security.

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Haskel held a separate meeting with the leadership of the Jewish community in Athens. Community leaders expressed concern over the rise of antisemitism in Europe, though Haskel noted that the Greek government has implemented programs to address the issue and that the situation in Greece has not been as bad.

"The Jewish community is absolutely incredible. They're so active and participatory in not just creating this community, which is tiny, but they're combating challenges to make sure that what's happening in Europe will not happen in Greece," she said.

Haskel presented Greek officials with a 300-page report titled "Silenced No More," authored by the Civil Commission on Hamas’s Crimes Against Women and Children. The document details sexual violence carried out by Hamas on October 7, which the report describes as deliberate and systematic.

"To be able to give that, to talk about the tragedy and the weaponizing of sexual violence against women, children, and men, and the mutilation and everything that happened on October 7 - that was very meaningful," Haskel told The Jerusalem Post. She added that preserving the memory of October 7 and exposing the truth of the atrocities is a moral duty she carries to every diplomatic meeting.

The mission concluded on May 14, 2026.