A recent defense exhibition in Greece illustrates how Greece and Israel relations have improved over the last several years. Amid other focuses in the Middle East, such as US President Donald Trump’s trip to the Gulf and the continued conflict in Gaza, the issues of the Eastern Mediterranean have been out of the spotlight. This is natural because the crisis in the region has shifted.
Turkey hasn’t been causing as many tensions with Greece in recent months, and rhetoric has toned down. Nevertheless, Israel’s relations with Greece continue to grow.
Athens hosted the DEFEA defense exhibition from May 6-8. The organizers of the exhibition noted that it highlighted “innovation, strategic dialogue, and international collaboration.” The UAE had a pavilion, one of 18 countries to have a pavilion, at the expo, and the Hellenic Armed Forces discussed their capabilities and development.
Israel’s Ministry of Defense also participated along with twenty-five Israeli companies that showcased everything from “autonomous drones and secure communication solutions to innovative energy technologies changing the game’s rules in the modern battlefield,” according to a Ministry of Defense statement.
Lena Argiri, the White House Correspondent for Greek Broadcasting Corporation ERT Kathimerini, had several important insights about the trends in Israel-Greece ties. “The two countries have also increasingly prioritized drone technology as a central part of their expanding defense and security cooperation, recognizing the strategic value of unmanned aerial systems for surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat operations in the volatile Eastern Mediterranean,” she noted.
“This growing collaboration in the drone sector has the potential to significantly transform their defense postures, enabling both Greece and Israel to adapt more effectively to the complex, multi-domain challenges of 21st-century warfare.”
Argiri also noted that “as Greece advances its military modernization, Israeli defense products and technological expertise are becoming crucial, firmly positioning Athens as an increasingly important market for Israeli defense solutions.” She noted that this includes various types of innovation and solutions “from cutting-edge training centers and precision missile systems to advanced drones and collaborative research and development initiatives, the partnership has evolved well beyond transactional exchanges, emerging as a strategic alliance that underscores the deepening defense ties between Greece and Israel.”
She pointed to several examples of how Israel-Greece relations are developing on the defense wavelength. For instance, Greece has established a flight training center for the Hellenic Air Force called the Kalamata Flight Training Center. This is a project with Elbit Systems in Israel, one of Israel’s largest defense companies.
In 2023, Elbit noted, “In the Breathtaking surroundings of Kalamata, Greece, a modern Hellenic Air Force airbase has sprung to life with a staggering budget of over $1.5 billion. Entrusted with the crucial responsibility of managing its complex technical operations and refining the training infrastructure was Elbit Systems, the chosen prime contractor.”
There is a lot more to the friendship as well. “Joint military exercises further emphasize the operational depth of the alliance. Joint naval exercises conducted in coordination with the United States and Cyprus focus on submarine warfare, search and rescue operations, and complex maritime scenarios. Also, research and development are becoming a key part of the partnership,” Argiri said.
The shift in ties is strategic. It is part of a broader alignment of interests between Greece and Israel, Argiri noted. “With ongoing instability in the region, the shifting balance of power, emerging security alliances and threats, and the growing need for secure energy corridors, both countries increasingly see each other as reliable and like-minded partners. This alignment extends well beyond military cooperation.”
One initiative is a project that aims “to link the electricity grids of Israel, Cyprus, and Greece via an undersea cable, enhancing regional energy security and integrating Israel into the European energy network,” she adds. “Diplomatic coordination is also intensifying through trilateral frameworks such as the Greece-Israel-Cyprus alliance and the broader 3+1 format with the United States, which has added strategic depth and transatlantic backing to regional cooperation.”
One of the issues that helped push Athens and Jerusalem closer together was Turkey’s threats. Turkey and Greece were increasingly at odds in the period of 2019-2020. The tensions continued over the years. Hurriyet in Turkey said that Ankara had warned Greece in 2020 over a shooting drill on Chios. Greek City Times said in 2024 that tensions were rising in the eastern Mediterranean.
“In a renewed attempt to assert its maritime claims in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey has issued a NAVTEX (Navigational Telex) authorizing scientific research by its vessel ‘Akdeniz Apastirma-1’ in a vast area south, west, and southeast of Kastellorizo, a Greek island. This move directly challenges Greece’s authority to issue NAVTEX messages in this region and has reignited tensions between the two neighbours,” the report said. Israel increasingly sees Ankara as a potential adversary. This includes tensions over Syria.
Argiri pointed out that “Turkey has also contributed to the deepening of Greece-Israel ties, as both nations confront Ankara’s increasingly aggressive and erratic behavior. President Erdogan’s hostile rhetoric and open threats toward Israel, combined with Turkey’s provocations in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean, have cemented a shared perception of Ankara as a source of instability in the region. This common threat assessment has accelerated strategic alignment between Athens and Jerusalem, pushing their partnership from cooperation to coordination in confronting a volatile and revisionist neighbor.”
The Greek-Israeli relationship has evolved
She continued, “Over the past decade, Greece and Israel’s bilateral ties have evolved into a multifaceted strategic partnership, extending well beyond defense to encompass energy cooperation, innovation, tourism, emergency response coordination, and diplomatic alignment in both regional and international forums.”
She concluded, “The relationship has transitioned from basic collaboration to a robust, institutionalized alliance, bolstered by frequent high-level exchanges, joint military exercises, and shared strategic interests. A key focus has been counterbalancing regional instability and ensuring energy security. Today, Greece and Israel stand as one of the few stable and reliable partnerships in a region marked by volatility, with their alliance grounded in trust and mutually beneficial cooperation.”
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