Can Israel Struck A Truce With The European Union?

January, 2026: The 10th trilateral summit of Israel, Greece and Cyprus, took place in Jerusalem on 22nd December, which is regarded as a showcase demonstrating the continuing commitment of the three countries in their trilateral collaboration. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in an effort to revitalise the trilateral mechanism.

Earlier, the 09th trilateral summit was organised on 04th September 2023 in Nicosia, wherein the foundation of a paradigm shift in stances was erected. In a joint statement the trio has reiterated:

[[We, Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, and Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel, having met in Nicosia today, September 4th 2023, for the 9th Trilateral Summit between our countries and reaffirmed our commitment to continue strengthening the dynamic cooperation of our trilateral partnership platform. Our engagement reflects our shared values and ever-increasing common interests, aiming to contribute to peace, stability, security and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider region.

We reviewed progress achieved in a multiplicity of cooperation pillars, which have been developing in the eight years since the inception of this Trilateral forum and reaffirmed our aim to propel collaborations in key domains, such as energy, defense, emergency response, environment, tourism, health, technology and innovation, and diasporas.

We agreed that the energy sector, and in particular, natural gas and renewable energy, is a solid foundation for cooperation in the region, based on international law including the law of the sea and the respect of all states to exercise their rights in their respective EEZ/Continental Shelf.

In light of the growing need for energy diversification and interconnectivity, due to the geopolitical developments, we reaffirmed the common interest to advance prospects for a reliable energy corridor from the Eastern Mediterranean basin to Europe. In this context we stressed the importance of further promoting energy synergies with like-minded countries including the EMGF and regional projects such as electrical interconnections, like the EuroAsia Interconnector, and possible natural gas/hydrogen pipelines.

Addressing the global challenge of climate change, we agree to reinforce our efforts through regional cooperative projects, R&D, innovative energy technologies and promoting further regional energy connectivity. Against the backdrop of recent wildfires in Greece and Cyprus, taking note of the recent assistance provided by Israel, we reaffirm our mutual commitment to assist each other in responding to emergencies and further enhance our coordination and joint capabilities for that purpose.

We also reaffirmed on the value of the 3+1 format with the United States which can offer tangible deliverables, inter alia, in the areas of energy, economy, climate action, emergency preparedness and counterterrorism. It was agreed to work together towards holding a ministerial 3+1 meeting later this year.

Given the positive momentum unleashed by the historic Abraham Accords and the new opportunities that it has created, we explored ways of linking work done in our Trilateral platform with other regional formats, including the Negev Forum.

We called on our regional partners and the rest of the international community to step up the efforts to curb terrorism and hold all entities which promote and sponsor it accountable. Recent terror plots against Israeli and Jewish targets were encouraged by foreign actors who aim to destabilize the region. These malicious attempts were foiled thanks to the Greek and Cypriot authorities and demonstrated the common threat of terrorism and the importance of our close cooperation in the fight against it.

We reiterated our steadfast commitment to the enhancement of EU-Israel relations. We underline the need to promote cooperation in the framework of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, and the reconvening of the EU-Israel Association Council during the last quarter of this year.

We also noted the importance of the Aqaba and Sharm El Sheikh meetings and their key contribution to de-escalation and stability, as well as their potential for rebuilding trust between the parties which is needed for advancing a just and lasting peace]].

Immediately thereafter, Israel responded to the Hamas invasion of 07th October 2023 by engaging in wars on multiple Middle East fronts, including a 12-day war with Iran. Despite the multidimensional and complex character of all these conflicts, Israel managed to show its power and resilience.

Both Greece and Cyprus continued to value their strategic partnership with Israel even as the Jewish State was being roundly condemned and vilified. Unlike the EU member states that chose to condemn Israel for the war in Gaza, Athens and Nicosia took a mild and balanced approach.

Premier Mitsotakis has been able to prioritise what he perceives as Greece’s national interests and fend off criticism from other parties. Nikos Androulakis, the leader of the main opposition PASOK party, did not hold back in his excoriation of Israel in the context of the war in Gaza, inaccurately using the terms “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide” to describe Israel’s conduct during the war and eliding that both terms in fact apply to Hamas’s assault on Israel, as well as to its ongoing plans for that country.

On 16th October 2025, Androulakis called Netanyahu a “butcher” and demanded that Mitsotakis apologise for aligning Greece’s interests with those of Israel. Similarly, the parliamentary spokesperson of PASOK, Dimitris Mantzos, spoke of a “live-streamed genocide” and wondered “what strategic partnership might endure the pain of this bloodshed”. Interestingly, it was the former leader of PASOK, George Papandreou, who laid the foundations for the Greek-Israeli friendship while serving as prime minister in 2010.

During the Israel-Iran war of June 2025, Greece and Cyprus served as hubs for Israeli civilians unable to return to their country. Planes belonging to Israeli airlines were stationed at Greek and Cypriot airports, and the aircraft serving Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog departed for Athens after Operation Rising Lion was launched on 13 June. When the conflict ended, the Greek and Cypriot authorities coordinated with the Israeli government to implement Operation Safe Return to facilitate the repatriation of Israelis. Former Knesset member Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh praised Greece and Cyprus in a Jerusalem Post commentary in which he argued that the two countries had stepped up to help Israel, indeed with actions, and, not just with words, at a time of serious crisis.

In the sphere of defense, Greece and Cyprus have looked favorably towards the Israeli market for years. Greece is now finalizing an agreement with Israel to purchase 36 PULS rocket artillery systems for $757.84 million. The Greek Parliament and the Government Council for National Security have approved the budget for the purchase, according to a press release from Elbit, the PULS manufacturer. Cyprus reportedly deployed Israel Aerospace Industries’ Barak MX air defense system last September and is eyeing new military deals with Israel to equip its National Guard. In addition to the arms transactions, Jerusalem, Athens and Nicosia are expected to conduct joint drills in 2026. In the past, Greek-Israeli exercises in the area between Israel and the island of Crete have allowed Israeli pilots to engage in bombing exercises and to rehearse the kind of aerial refueling necessary to cover a distance equal to that separating Israel from Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.

Israel, Greece and Cyprus are all apprehensive about Turkish tactics in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, a common concern that facilitates dialogue. Jerusalem is of course primarily concerned about Ankara’s attitude toward Hamas and presence in Syria, while Athens and Nicosia are more focused on Ankara’s policies in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean as well as on the Cyprus question. Israel, Greece and Cyprus support the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which bypasses Turkey, though IMEC will inevitably have limitations. The Turkish market is too big to be ignored, and the Corridor is still lacking tangible investments.

Energy also brings the three countries closer. Last November, Israeli Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen put the idea of the East Med pipeline back on the table. Cohen made the comment on the sidelines of a ‘3+1’ Energy Ministerial Meeting in Athens that was also attended by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Although the East Med pipeline project remains expensive and technically difficult, attention is being directed towards a connecting of Israeli gas fields and LNG facilities in Cyprus. Israel is keen on selling its natural gas to Cyprus.

The Energean company, which is drilling in Israeli waters, has proposed the construction of a subsea pipeline from its Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) to Cyfield’s planned power generation facility in Cyprus. According to official sources, the cost will be around $400 million, while the capacity of the new pipeline will be 1 billion cubic meters a year. Theoretically, Israel, Greece and Cyprus remain committed to the Great Sea Interconnector project, but the Cypriot government seems to be having second thoughts about its viability. Athens and Nicosia have openly disagreed on this matter over the past few weeks.

Vide a press notification dated 03rd November 2025, Energean plc have announced, that following the Letter Of Intent (LOI), Energean has proposed to the Governments of Cyprus and Israel the export

of natural gas from Israel to Cyprus via a new pipeline, a project designed to benefit both markets, promote regional energy collaboration, and contribute to the development of a competitive and interconnected East Mediterranean gas market.

Under the proposal, Energean will design, construct, own and operate a new subsea pipeline connecting the FPSO “Energean Power”, currently producing in Israeli waters, directly to Cyprus.

The agreement and project are subject to the approval of the Governments of Cyprus and

Israel. Should all necessary approvals be obtained, the project would mark a significant step

forward for regional energy integration and security of supply. The interconnection between Israel and Cyprus will:

• Diversify gas supply sources for Cyprus and enhance energy security;

• Promote cleaner power generation by replacing oil-based fuels with natural gas;

• Support economic growth by stabilizing energy costs and improving efficiency;

• Reinforce regional cooperation and contribute to the development of an East Mediterranean energy corridor.

The project will also bring environmental and strategic benefits to Cyprus, including reduced CO₂ emissions and closer alignment with EU decarbonization objectives, while demonstrating the potential for constructive cross-border energy collaboration between Israel and Cyprus.

Last but not least, Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are expected to improve coordination in accessing EU Horizon programs and other external funding sources. When the European Commission proposed, in July 2025, to partially suspend Israel’s integration into the European Innovation Council, Greece and Cyprus were among the EU member states to oppose the idea.

The trilateral Jerusalem summit welcomed the Cypriot presidency of the Council of the EU for the first semester of 2026, and Greece will hold the EU presidency in the second semester of 2027. The next two years should be a good opportunity to recalibrate EU-Israel relations under the aegis of Cyprus and Greece as well as to intensify the European fight against antisemitism.

Team Maverick.