Shortly before completing his term in Greece, Israel’s ambassador to Athens, Noam Katz, granted Kathimerini a wide-ranging interview, in which he takes stock of Greek-Israeli relations and outlines the next steps for further deepening cooperation between the two countries. Ambassador Katz also answers crucial questions about Turkey’s “destabilizing” role in the region.
Your tenure began shortly before the events of October 7, 2023. Looking back, what were some of your more memorable moments in Greece?
It is very difficult to single out one moment during my tenure in Greece. On October 7, we found ourselves in a completely different reality. It put the relationship between our two governments and our two peoples to the test. There were many moments during this period that I found deeply emotional. “October 7” itself was one of them, as was the first memorial ceremony we held, and I was also deeply moved by the visits of the families of the hostages and the warm welcome and support they received from the Greek people, as well as from the Greek government.
Do you believe that October 7 challenged the Greece-Israel alliance or put Israel’s capabilities into question?
Israel’s friends, and certainly Israelis themselves, were deeply shocked by the events of October 7 and by the failures that were exposed that day. It was a profound shock that led many people, both in Israel and abroad, to question long-held assumptions. People asked whether Israel was as strong as they had believed, and whether the region’s stability had been shaken in a way from which it could not recover. I think that after nearly three years of war, several conclusions have become clear. Israel has demonstrated that it is a strong power in the Middle East, with the ability to defend itself and to degrade the capabilities of radical forces in the region.
