Will Israel's Strategy of Using Greece as a Proxy Against Turkey Succeed?
This opinion piece analyzes Israel's strategic efforts to cultivate Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration as proxy actors against Türkiye in the Eastern Mediterranean. The author argues that Israel, constrained by its narrow geography and dependence on Mediterranean sea routes for trade, water, and energy security, seeks strategic depth through this alliance. Following the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident and subsequent deterioration of Israeli-Turkish relations, Israel expanded military cooperation with Greece, utilizing its airspace for long-range training exercises critical for potential operations against distant targets like Iran. Beyond military and energy interests, the article highlights the construction of an exclusive identity politics framework among Israel, Greece, and Cyprus. This trio positions themselves as secular, Western-style democracies and heirs to ancient Mediterranean cultures, contrasting themselves with Türkiye. The author contends that this identity-based alignment, designed to counter Turkish regional influence, risks deepening polarization and undermining stability in the Eastern Mediterranean by framing geopolitical competition through civilizational values rather than pragmatic diplomacy.
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Will Israel's Strategy of Using Greece as a Proxy Against Turkey Succeed?
This opinion piece analyzes Israel's strategic efforts to cultivate Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration as proxy actors against Türkiye in the Eastern Mediterranean. The author argues that Israel, constrained by its narrow geography and dependence on Mediterranean sea routes for trade, water, and energy security, seeks strategic depth through this alliance. Following the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident and subsequent deterioration of Israeli-Turkish relations, Israel expanded military cooperation with Greece, utilizing its airspace for long-range training exercises critical for potential operations against distant targets like Iran. Beyond military and energy interests, the article highlights the construction of an exclusive identity politics framework among Israel, Greece, and Cyprus. This trio positions themselves as secular, Western-style democracies and heirs to ancient Mediterranean cultures, contrasting themselves with Türkiye. The author contends that this identity-based alignment, designed to counter Turkish regional influence, risks deepening polarization and undermining stability in the Eastern Mediterranean by framing geopolitical competition through civilizational values rather than pragmatic diplomacy.
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