Greek PM meets with Netanyahu to discuss post-corona tourism reopening
Greece is seeking reciprocity with Israel, by which people flying to Israel from Greece will not have to go into a two-week quarantine upon arrival.
By LAHAV HARKOVGreek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakisis (L) meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, June 16, 2020(photo credit: PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE)
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakisis set to arrive in Israel on Tuesday to try to negotiate the renewal of tourism between his country and Israel following this year’s lockdowns to curb the coronavirus pandemic.Greece is seeking reciprocity with Israel, by which people flying to Israel from Greece – including Israelis returning from vacation – will not have to go into a two-week quarantine upon arrival.The Greek economy relies heavily on tourism, which accounted for 25.7-30.9% of Greece’s GDP in 2018, according to the Greek Tourism Confederation’s research department, and 90% of tourism revenue came from abroad.The EU is expected to allow member states to open their borders to other countries on July 1, and Greece would like an agreement to come into place by this date.However, with the rising COVID-19 numbers, Foreign Ministry officials said Israel will not be able to commit to a date for such an arrangement. When Israel opens up again, Greece, a country with a very low rate of coronavirus, will be one of the first destinations to not require a quarantine, the officials said.Instead, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely express a positive attitude towards starting tourism without setting specific dates.Mitsotakisis will arrive in Israel on Tuesday with five other ministers, the first senior foreign officials staying overnight in Israel since the coronavirus pandemic began.The ministers in the Greek premier’s delegation are foreign affairs, tourism, energy, environmental protection and water, as well as development and investments, indicating a strong focus on economic matters for the visit.Other than tourism, the East-Med project, an undersea natural-gas pipeline from Israel to Europe, will be on the agenda. Israel, Greece and Cyprus entered an agreement in January to build the pipeline.The ambitious energy project includes constructing a 1,900 km pipeline from Israeli economic waters to the western Greek mainland via Cyprus and Crete.
Netanyahu is also expected to ask his Greek counterpart to help moderate the EU’s response to the possibility that Israel will extend its laws to parts of the West Bank.A diplomatic source said on Tuesday that Greece is unlikely to change its position opposing the move, but that they could join other countries that have promised to block economic sanctions and could play a role in softening the EU’s statements criticizing Israel.“Greece is not militant and we expect them to help us,” the source said. “We want the EU to have a dialogue with us and not sanctions or declarations threatening to punish us.”The source pointed to shared economic interests between Greece and Israel and partnerships in other areas such as security and diplomacy.“Good friends can stay friends even when we disagree on some things,” the source stated.Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades is expected to visit Israel next Wednesday to discuss similar topics.The diplomatic source said Cyprus will be a tougher sell on helping Israel with its EU ties in light of possible sovereignty moves in the West Bank, because they are particularly sensitive to land disputes due to Turkey’s occupation of Northern Cyprus.
