Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Athens on Monday, a week after being visited by his Greek counterpart in Tel Aviv and at a time of deteriorating relations between Israel and Turkey, Greece's neighbor and traditional rival. Security was tight for Netahyahu's visit _ the first ever by an Israeli prime minister to Greece. Police increased patrols in the capital, and cars were barred from parking along key routes including near the Jewish Museum in central Athens. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou was meeting with Netanyahu on Monday afternoon, after speaking Sunday by telephone with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, his office said.
By ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press
A government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Papandreou wanted to hear the Arab leaders' opinions on the Middle East peace process, including on a push for a resumption of direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians, before his meeting with Netanyahu.
The Israelis and Palestinians have been balking at the terms for restarting direct talks _ Abbas is wary of entering open-ended talks with Netanyahu, who has retreated from some of the concessions offered by his predecessors, while Netanyahu and his top Cabinet ministers have said they will not accept any conditions for resuming negotiations.
Under an emerging compromise, the so-called Quartet of Mideast mediators _ the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia _ is considering issuing an invitation for direct talks that would list underlying principles and a time frame.
Papandreou, who also holds the foreign ministry portfolio, had been an active mediator in Arab-Israeli relations in his previous role as foreign minister nearly a decade ago.
The two prime ministers were to hold talks in Athens on Monday afternoon, and then briefly head to the nearby island of Poros on Tuesday. Israel also is strengthening its military cooperation with Greece, especially regarding military industries.
Meanwhile, relations between Israel and Turkey, Greece's traditional rival, have soured since an Israeli commando raid in May on an international flotilla trying to bust Israel's blockade of Gaza. Nine Turkish activists were killed in the raid on the flotilla, in which Greek activists were also participating.
Alon Liel, Israel's former top diplomat in Ankara, suggested Israel was looking to strengthen ties with Greece given its current testy relations with Turkey, and in doing so may be able to push Turkey to soften its stance.
But, he said, such sentiments might be misplaced, and that Israel should not expect this weeks visit in the region to embarrass Turkey.
"I think there is lack of understanding in Israel that Turkey will feel threatened or annoyed by such a visit. I think no one in Turkey will even notice it. Turkey doesn't see its relations with Greece as a strategic or military rivalry. I don't think it will make Turkey rethink its tense relations with Israel," he said.
Liel doubted that Greece could replace Turkey as an intermediary between Israel and the Arab states.
Greece and Turkey remain at odds over several issues, including territorial spats in the Aegean Sea, but relations are no longer as hostile as in recent decades when the two countries came to the brink of war three times between 1974 and 1996.
Left-wing groups have planned demonstrations Monday afternoon in Athens, with marches to the Israeli Embassy outside to protest the flotilla raid and Israel's policies in the Middle East.
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Associated Press Writer Aisha Mohammed in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
16.08.2010
