Israel, Cyprus and Greece are natural friends and allies

Submitted by Andrew M. (United States), Feb 7, 2012 at 19:36

If a group of Israelis (businesspeople, tourists, students) want to go to another country within a few hundred miles of Israel (for business opportunities, for sightseeing, anything), where would they most comfortable? Where would they find people that he can understand culturally and that can understand them? Where would the interaction with the locals be most open and relaxed? It's hard to argue that there is any country in the region where an Israeli would be more at ease than in Cyprus – and the next best one would be Greece.

This is way I claim that this connection is long overdue.

This alliance is one of cooperation, mutual assistance, and mutual benefit. It is a friendship that can be largely based on economic bonds and need not be directed "against" anyone. Granted, the changes in Turkey's long-term strategy are making this more urgent. But even if Turkey had not become so overtly adversarial, a connection between Israel on one hand and Cyprus and Greece on the other (the geographically closest EU countries) would be a great long-term strategy.

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