7 + 3: Greece As Part of a Mediterranean Bloc

Athens, Greece, photo by Oleksii Khodakivskiy via Unsplash

BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,769, October 5, 2020

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Given the historical ties of Athens with Middle Eastern countries, Greece is an ideal candidate to play a pivotal role in a Mediterranean bloc to include Israel, Gulf States, and European countries with the object of repelling Turkey’s expansionist ambitions. The participation of Greece could help the region reach its economic and political potential amid the dispute over local energy reserves.

The power shift in the Middle East over the past several years has reshaped the political challenges facing several of its constituent countries, and has led them to consider a possible expansion of their framework of relations. Considering Turkey’s

Will Kosovo and Serbia establish embassies in Jerusalem? Not if the EU has its way

The European Union looks like “an anti-peace body that is way behind the UAE, Bahrain and others who recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. It really makes the E.U. look foolish,” says Dan Diker, director of the Political Warfare Project at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

BY ISRAEL KASNETT

U.S. President Donald Trump, joined by Vice President Mike Pence, participates in a signing ceremony with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti in the Oval Office of the White House, on Sept. 4, 2020. Credit: Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen.

(September 16, 2020 / JNS) It’s easy to miss all of the announcements coming out right now by countries normalizing relations with Israel. But even more intriguing was the announcement last week that Serbia and Kosovo planned to establish their embassies in Israel’s capital—much to the consternation of the European Union.

Kosovo would be the first Muslim-majority nation to do so, but that’s not the part that intrigues Israelis. Since announcing its independence from Serbia in 2008, Kosovo has shown an interest in establishing ties with the Jewish state, but Israel

Kosovo acoge con satisfacción el reconocimiento de Israel

@israelnoticias.com

El presidente de Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, acogió con satisfacción el viernes el acuerdo para establecer vínculos entre su país e Israel.

«Celebro el anuncio del Primer Ministro israelí Netanyahu sobre la genuina intención de reconocer a Kosovo y establecer relaciones diplomáticas. Kosovo mantendrá su promesa de colocar su misión diplomática en Jerusalem», tuiteó Thaçi.

Anteriormente se anunció que, como parte de un acuerdo entre Serbia y Kosovo, Kosovo reconocería a Israel mientras que Serbia trasladaría su embajada en Israel a Jerusalem para julio de 2021.