Deputy Minister Sharren Haskel served as a keynote speaker at the Maritime Med conference and the East Med Energy Transition Summit.
Greece-Israel relations are “flourishing,” Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sharren Haskel told The Jerusalem Post, following a three-day diplomatic and economic mission to Athens.
The aim of the visit was to deepen the strategic partnership and alliance between Israel and Greece, focusing primarily on infrastructure projects, energy, regional connectivity, and security.
During the mission, the deputy minister served as a keynote speaker at the Maritime Med conference and the East Med Energy Transition Summit.
She also held a series of high-level meetings with senior Greek officials, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Papadopoulou, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Diplomacy Harry Theoharis, and Alternate Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis.
Haskel presented Israel’s commitment to advancing large-scale regional infrastructure projects, most notably the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI). This strategic initiative involves a subsea electricity cable connecting the grids of Israel, Cyprus, and Greece to mainland Europe. Additionally, Haskel emphasized the critical importance of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) trade corridor as a “cornerstone for global economic stability.”
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sharren Haskel on a three-day diplomatic and economic mission to Athens. (credit: Courtesy Israel FM)
“Recent months have proven beyond a doubt that we cannot rely on trade routes or energy sectors that are vulnerable to radical and irresponsible actors,” said Haskel.
“Dependency on hostile coalitions is a tangible danger to the entire free world. The GSI project and our tight strategic alliance with Greece and Cyprus are game-changers.”
Israel will be ‘critical’ to Europe’s energy security
She explained that Israel is becoming a reliable and central energy hub that will “not only ensure regional prosperity,” but also “serve as a critical pillar of Europe’s energy security.”
The deputy minister also held a special meeting with the leadership of the Jewish community in Athens.
Haskel told the Post that the leaders expressed much concern over the rise of antisemitism in Europe.
However, she said that the Greek government has implemented many programs to tackle antisemitism, so the situation in Greece has “not been as bad.”
“The Jewish community is absolutely incredible. They’re so active and participatory in not just creating this community, which is tiny, but they’re combating challenges to make sure that what’s happening in Europe will not happen in Greece.”
Haskel also presented Papadopoulou with the “Silenced No More” report. This 300-page document, authored by the Civil Commission on Hamas’s Crimes Against Women and Children, chronicles the institutionalized and systematic sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas against men, women, and children starting on October 7.
The meeting focused on the report’s finding that these acts of violence were not incidental but served as a deliberate strategic weapon within Hamas’s broader offensive.
“To be able to give [Papadopoulou] that, to talk about the tragedy and the weaponizing of sexual violence against women, children, and men and the mutilation and everything that happened on October 7 – that was very meaningful,” Haskel told the Post.
“I’m really glad I had the opportunity to give that to her, so that she can personally see this and gain all the evidence.”
Haskel also said that preserving the memory of October 7 and exposing the truth of the atrocities carried out is a “moral duty” that she carries with her to every diplomatic meeting.