One year to the next election and, amid growing public anger against Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, the Mitsotakis government of Greece appears to be gambling away political fortunes with a major deal with Israel. The deal, signed on Monday, is one of the biggest for Israel and will reinforce Greece's “Achilles Shield” aerial defense system. For Mitsotakis, however, it may be his Achilles' heel in the 2027 election. A survey released by Pew Research Center in June shows that although the Greek public is still warm toward Israel, only 30% of the nation has a positive opinion of the country after the start of a new round of Palestine-Israel conflict in 2025.
Since 2025, Greece has been the scene of pro-Palestine demonstrations, denouncing genocide in Gaza. Earlier this month, a major protest was held in Piraeus as an Israeli cruise ship docked there. The protest has called on Greece to cease cooperation with Israel, but Athens responded with the 3 billion euros deal on Monday. "The security agreement signed today with Greece, one of the largest in the country's history, is a direct continuation of the Eastern Mediterranean alliance we forged a decade ago with Greece and (southern) Cyprus. It serves as further proof of the tremendous capabilities of Israel's defense and technological industries," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "This move expresses Israel's strength, the confidence in our defense exports, and the strengthening of regional alliances."
