The Greek Jewry hailed the 30^th anniversary of full diplomatic relations between Greece and Israel during a teleconference convened by the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece (KIS), on May 25, 2020. The meeting, which was attended by the Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, the Israeli ambassador to Greece Yossi Amrani, KIS President David Saltiel and the Board of Directors, representatives of the Greek Jewish Communities, as well as KIS’s past Presidents Benjamin Albalas and Nissim Mais, included the presentation of the digital on-line album entitled “30 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN GREECE AND ISRAEL, 1990 – 2020. A TIMELINE – The Milestones of a productive cooperation”, edited by KIS (May 2020).  

KIS President David Saltiel in his opening remarks pointed out the role of the Greek Jewry in the relations between the two countries, with special reference to relevant important ongoing projects, as the Holocaust Museum and the programme of cultural events for 2021, when Greece will celebrate the 200 years of its independence and will assume the chairmanship of the IHRA. “The Greek Jews feel as the bridge that unites the two philosophies that shaped our civilization: the Greek philosophy, that founded the principles of democracy and freedom and the Jewish philosophy, that founded the principles of monotheism, justice, solidarity and humanism”, stressed David Saltiel and continued: “Today Greece and Israel cooperate multifariously for the prosperity of their people, for the stability and peace in the sensitive region of the Eastern Mediterranean. Mr Minister and Mr Ambassador, KIS was, is and will remain a supporter of this cooperation boosting every effort that brings closer the people of the two countries”, Saltiel concluded.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias spoke about the importance and benefits from the cooperation between Greece and Israel and stressed that he looks forward to advancing the relations between the two foreign ministries. He also referred to the telephone conversation he already had with his new Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi.

The Ambassador of Israel to Greece Yossi Amrani stressed that, following a period of political instability in Israel, the formation of the new Israeli government will kick off a new era of cooperation between Greece and Israel and estimated that the two Governments, lead by Mitsotakis and Netanyahu, will write new pages of progress in the history of the relations between the two people and the two countries.

The interventions were followed by the presentation of the digital online album “30 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN GREECE AND ISRAEL, 1990 – 2020. A TIMELINE – The Milestones of a productive cooperation”, edited by KIS. 

At the beginning of the presentation, Nissim Mais, former President of KIS, who in 1992 accompanied Konstantinos Mitsotakis to Israel, spoke about his experience from the historic first-ever visit of a Greek Prime Minister to Israel.

The album was presented and commented by the Secretary General of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece Victor Isaak Eliezer, who was the instigator and the editor-in-chief of the publication. Mr. Eliezer, through the pages of the album, lead the participants to a journey through the rich history of the most important and productive 30-year period of Greek-Israeli relations.