Netanyahu and Greek PM Mitsotakis Discuss Strategic Ties in Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Jerusalem on Sunday, reaffirming the historic and strategic partnership between the two nations. The visit came amid heightened regional tensions and focused on security, economic cooperation, and shared democratic values.

“We're two ancient peoples. Our free civilizations started in Athens and Jerusalem,” said Netanyahu. “They have common values, and we share a common interest today, as well as common challenges.” The Israeli leader noted the increasing number of Israelis traveling and investing in Greece, describing it as a “vote of confidence” in the bilateral relationship.

Mitsotakis echoed the sentiment, emphasizing joint initiatives in defense and economic cooperation. “There are many areas where we can deepen our partnership especially now, when stability in the Eastern Mediterranean is more important than ever,” he said.

The Greek prime minister also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the President’s Residence, where they were joined by Dimitrios and Urania Karussis, whose son Ionas “Yona” Karussis a Greek-Israeli dual citizen was murdered in a terror attack in Jaffa last October. Herzog honored Ionas’s memory and thanked Mitsotakis for meeting with the grieving parents.

“A beautiful boy,” Herzog said. “Their lives have been intertwined between Israel and Greece for decades… hoping that terror will never reign in this region.”

Mitsotakis expressed condolences “on behalf of all the Greek people,” and announced a new scholarship program in Ionas’s name to bring international students to Israel.

The issue of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza was also front and center. Herzog described their ongoing captivity as a humanitarian catastrophe. Mitsotakis added his voice to international demands for the “immediate and unconditional release” of all 59 remaining hostages, while expressing hope for a new ceasefire and a framework to move forward.

"You know how much value we place in the strategic partnership between Greece and Israel,” Mitsotakis told Herzog. “I come to Israel once more in very difficult and turbulent times.”

As regional threats escalate, Greece and Israel continue to stand together bound not only by shared history, but by mutual commitment to peace, security, and democratic values.

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