Re-shaped Eastern Med. by Greek-Israeli Relations

By Dr. Andre Gerolymatos

This was all show - but an effective show - which convinced many of his followers that everything about the Palestinians was good, while the opposite was true for the Israelis. Remarkably, the pro-Palestinian rhetoric that came out of PASOK became intertwined with the anti-Americanism that was and has remained the mantra of the Greek Left. Many Greeks left of center and most of the university students continue to profess an irrational hostility to the US while wearing American clothes, listening to American music and essentially remaining submerged in American culture. An element of the anti-Americanism is also, at least subtly, held for the Greek- American community. It is never aimed at individual Greek Americans (Greek- Canadians are simply lumped with the Greek Americans) but directed at the Greek American community as an entity.

Perhaps, some Greeks believe that Greek Americans are directly or indirectly agents of influence for the US government, while others feel that the Greek American community does not share the political sentiments of indigenous Greeks. Remarkably, even during the current economic crisis there has been little interest on the part of the Greek Government to seek advice or assistance from the Greek American community. Whoever is in power in Athens will usually notify the Greek American, Greek Canadian, and, for that matter, the Greek Australian leadership of what to advocate with respect to Greek national issues – no advice on the soundness of such a policy is ever solicited. Quite often the Greek government changes or modifies its policies but it seldom bothers to inform the Greek Diaspora, leaving the Greek- Americans out of sync with Athens� policies. At the beginning of the Macedonian name crisis in the early 1990�s, the Greek government proclaimed that Macedonia represented 4,000 years of Greek history. Greek Americans and the rest of the Diaspora bombarded the political establishment and the media in North America with “Macedonia: 4,000 years of Greek history only to be informed shortly afterwards that the slogan was actually “Macedonia: 3,000 years of Greek history. The example maybe trivial but it underscores the perfunctory attitude towards the Diaspora characteristic of all governments in Athens regardless of their ideological disposition.

TALKING WITH TEL AVIV

Unfortunately, the negative sentiments towards the Greek- American community as well the anti-Americanism coupled with unqualified support for the Palestinian cause still resonates with some elements in PASOK and with the more radical segments of Greek society. In this respect, George Papandreou�s visit to Tel Aviv could be a radical departure from the traditional Greek foreign policy. Papandreou was faced with an opportunity and was not afraid to seize it. The deterioration of the Turkish- Israeli relationship has the potential of giving the Greek Government an opening with which to alter, in Greece�s favor, the strategic architecture of the Near East and Eastern Mediterranean. A bankrupt Greece needs strong allies and a strategic partnership with Israel can provide Athens with the means by which to counter Turkish influence in the Aegean and in Washington. Indeed the Greek road to the White House runs through Tel Aviv. For those who are skeptical, a potential security paradigm is the prospect of the Israeli Air Force conducting military exercises in the Aegean – undoubtedly it would pose a serious challenge to Turkish over-flights in Greek airspace.

Furthermore, a Greek role in the Middle East peace process will both enhance Greek influence in the region as well as Greece�s standing in the Western alliance. Not so remarkably, the role of a minor power may prove significant because Greek motives in participating in the Palestinian conundrum are purely altruistic and do not challenge any local or major power interests. At the same time, many Arab doors in the Middle East are open to the Greeks. However, despite the obvious advantages, it will be a long road for George Papandreou to guide the Greeks out of the self-defeating cycle of anti-Americanism and unquestioning pro-Palestinianism to a foreign policy based on selfinterest. In this respect, the Greek American community can play a critical role by helping Papandreou to maintain the momentum of seeking a closer Greek-Israel alliance and in the process achieve a greater role for the Diaspora in Greek foreign policy issues.

Dr. Gerolymatos is chair of Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia and the author of "Red Acropolis, Black Terror: The Greek Civil War and the Origins of Soviet-American Rivalry."

Source: http://www.hellenicnews.com/readnews.html?newsid=12360&lang=US