Israeli ambassador to Greece Noam Katz issued a warning to Iran not to launch an attack against Israel, speaking at the 9th Delphi Economic Forum.
“Israel is a strong country; it has very strong defence measures and also the ability to react,” said Katz. “I hope they won’t make this mistake. They received warnings from the entire international community, starting with the American president; they received the same messages from Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and also from us.”
The Israeli Ambassador noted that “Democracies do not go to war lightly.”
Katz pointed out that “Israel was forced to go to war when the terrorist organization Hamas decided to launch a full-scale attack against it. On October 7, they carried out one of the most horrific and barbaric massacres of Israeli citizens, abducting more than 250 Israelis and nationals of other countries.”
He reiterated Israel’s goals, as set from the beginning, to dismantle Hamas, release all hostages, and “create a new reality in Gaza that will no longer pose a threat to Israeli citizens.”
“The war is not against the Palestinians; it is against Hamas. Israelis, Palestinians, and all neighboring countries will benefit from this,” the Israeli ambassador said and stressed that “We are in the midst of a war. We are not at the end; we have not achieved all our goals.”
Asked about the international community’s reactions to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, he noted that Hamas’s ideology is exactly like ISIS’s.Also stressed that he did not see the international community negotiating with ISIS and leaving ISIS in place. “Hamas must be disbanded,”said.
He also mentioned that the United States and Israel share the same goal of dissolving Hamas.
Turkey plays a catastrophic role in the war with Hamas
Referring to Israel’s relations with the countries in the region, he emphasized that Egypt is part of the architecture of peace in the Middle East.
The relationship between Greece and Israel is strategic
“ Athens and Tel Aviv share strong values, have common interests, and have built a very strong relationship”, said Katz. “It is a strategic relationship beneficial for Israelis, Greeks, and people living in the region and beyond,” he said.
“Greece supports the immediate release of all hostages unconditionally and expresses serious concerns, as does everyone in the world, including Israelis, for civilians and involved citizens in Gaza.” “This allows Greece to have channels of communication with us and other nations in the region, making it a very constructive role,” he noted.
He reminded that the Greek Prime Minister visited Israel immediately after the start of the war, while visits have been made by the Foreign Minister, the Defence Minister, and the Health Minister, who has just returned from Israel, having signed an agreement for cooperation in the field of health.
Asked about the possibility of Donald Trump’s reelection, he emphasized that the relationship between Israel and the United States transcends individual administrations and is inter-party.
When referring to the East Med project, he explained that it is not a specific project but rather an idea of how natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean will be delivered to Europe.
