A recent defense exhibition in Greece illustrates how Greece-Israel relations have improved over the past several years. Amid other focuses in the Middle East, such as US President Donald Trump’s trip to the Gulf and the continued conflict in Gaza, the issues of the Eastern Mediterranean have been out of the spotlight.

This is natural because the crises in the region have shifted. Turkey has been creating less tension with Greece in recent months, and rhetoric has toned down. At the same time, Jerusalem’s relations with Athens continue to grow.Greece hosted the Defense Exhibition Athens (DEFEA) from May 6-8. The organizers of the exhibition said it highlighted “innovation, strategic dialogue, and international collaboration.”

The United Arab Emirates was one of 18 countries to have a pavilion at the expo, and the Hellenic Armed Forces discussed its capabilities and development.

Israel’s Defense Ministry also participated, along with 25 Israeli companies that showcased everything from “autonomous drones and secure communication solutions to innovative energy technologies changing the game’s rules in the modern battlefield,” the Defense Ministry said.

Lena Argiri, the White House correspondent for Greek Broadcasting Corporation ERT Kathimerini, had several important insights about the trends in Greece-Israel ties.

“The two countries have also increasingly prioritized drone technology as a central part of their expanding defense and security cooperation, recognizing the strategic value of unmanned aerial systems for surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat operations in the volatile Eastern Mediterranean,” she said.

Soldiers take part in the “Iniochos” international aerial exercise in Greece. (credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)
Soldiers take part in the “Iniochos” international aerial exercise in Greece. (credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)
“This growing collaboration in the drone sector has the potential to significantly transform their defense postures, enabling both Greece and Israel to adapt more effectively to the complex, multi-domain challenges of 21st-century warfare.”

“As Greece advances its military modernization, Israeli defense products and technological expertise are becoming crucial, firmly positioning Athens as an increasingly important market for Israeli defense solutions,” Argiri said.

This included various types of innovation and solutions, “from cutting-edge training centers and precision missile systems to advanced drones and collaborative research and development initiatives,” she said, adding that “the partnership has evolved well beyond transactional exchanges, emerging as a strategic alliance that underscores the deepening defense ties between Greece and Israel.”

Argiri cited several examples of how Greece-Israel relations are developing on the defense wavelength. For instance, Greece has established a flight training center for the Hellenic Air Force called the Kalamata Flight Training Center. This is a project with Elbit Systems, one of Israel’s largest defense companies.

“In the breathtaking surroundings of Kalamata, Greece, a modern Hellenic Air Force airbase has sprung to life with a staggering budget of over $1.5 billion,” Elbit said in 2023. “Entrusted with the crucial responsibility of managing its complex technical operations and refining the training infrastructure was Elbit Systems, the chosen prime contractor.”There is a lot more to the friendship, Argiri said.

“Joint military exercises further emphasize the operational depth of the alliance,” she said. “Joint naval exercises conducted in coordination with the United States and Cyprus focus on submarine warfare, search and rescue operations, and complex maritime scenarios. Also research and development is becoming a key part of the partnership.”

The shift in ties is strategic and part of a broader alignment of interests between Greece and Israel, Argiri said.

“With ongoing instability in the region, the shifting balance of power, emerging security alliances and threats, and the growing need for secure energy corridors, both countries increasingly see each other as reliable and like-minded partners,” she said. “This alignment extends well beyond military cooperation.”

One initiative is a project that aims “to link the electricity grids of Israel, Cyprus, and Greece via an undersea cable enhancing regional energy security and integrating Israel into the European energy network,” she added.

“Diplomatic coordination is also intensifying through trilateral frameworks such as the Greece-Israel-Cyprus alliance and the broader 3+1 format with the United States, which has added strategic depth and transatlantic backing to regional cooperation.”

One of the issues that helped push Athens and Jerusalem closer together was that of threats from Turkey. Greece and Turkey grew increasingly at odds in the period between 2019 and 2020, and the tensions have continued over the years. Ankara had warned Greece in 2020 over a shooting drill on Chios, Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Tensions were rising in the Eastern Mediterranean, Greek City Times reported last year.

“In a renewed attempt to assert its maritime claims in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey has issued a NAVTEX (Navigational Telex) authorizing scientific research by its vessel Akdeniz Apastirma-1 in a vast area south, west, and southeast of Kastellorizo, a Greek island,” the report said. “This move directly challenges Greece’s authority to issue NAVTEX messages in this region and has reignited tensions between the two neighbors.”

Israel increasingly sees Ankara as a potential adversary. This includes tensions over Syria.

“Turkey has also contributed to the deepening of Greece-Israel ties, as both nations confront Ankara’s increasingly aggressive and erratic behavior,” Argiri said.

“President [Tayyep] Erdogan’s hostile rhetoric and open threats toward Israel, combined with Turkey’s provocations in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean, have cemented a shared perception of Ankara as a source of instability in the region,” she said.

“This common threat assessment has accelerated strategic alignment between Athens and Jerusalem, pushing their partnership from cooperation to coordination in confronting a volatile and revisionist neighbor.”

The Greek-Israeli relationship has evolved

“Over the past decade, Greece and Israel’s bilateral ties have evolved into a multifaceted strategic partnership, extending well beyond defense to encompass energy cooperation, innovation, tourism, emergency response coordination, and diplomatic alignment in both regional and international forums,” Argiri said.

“The relationship has transitioned from basic collaboration to a robust, institutionalized alliance, bolstered by frequent high-level exchanges, joint military exercises, and shared strategic interests,” she said. “A key focus has been on counterbalancing regional instability and ensuring energy security.”

Today, Argiri concluded, the Greece-Israel partnership “stands as one of the few stable and reliable partnerships in a region marked by volatility, with their alliance grounded in trust and mutually beneficial cooperation.”