Further on Greece

Submitted by JJ (United States), Jun 29, 2007 at 02:20

Dear Ianus,

The American role in Greece had both positive and negative aspects, and is so tangled in the web of Balkan politics reaching back to the First World War and beyond that it is hopeless to try to unravel all the strands. I agree that with respect to the dictatorship the American role was disgraceful. Regarding Afghanistan, it was the Soviets who invaded that place, thanks to our great president Jimmy Carter's fecklessness, and at that point there were not many good options.

Supporting the Jihad may have been the least bad option, much as supporting Stalin during World War II was the least bad option at that time. In both cases there have been serious consequences. I do not think Greece's bad relations with Israel were due to Israel's relations with Turkey, which did not develop until much later. If I had to guess the main motivation was Greek interests in the Arab world, and the large Greek communities in places like Egypt, along with a certain ideological streak in Greek politics.

All the same, for many years Greek governments seemed to think Arab terrorism could be appeased. To paraphrase what you say it is time to move beyond the past or else we will lose the future. On a more positive note did you see the recent CD put out by Manos Rassoulis with Yehuda Poliker (who is an Israeli of Greek parentage)? It has gotten a great deal of air time on Israeli radio. Rightly or wrongly it has made me much more optimistic about future relations between Israel and our Greek almost-neighbors. JJ

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