There can be no solution to the ongoing Middle East crisis without first the “strategic defeat” of Hamas, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday, adding that the world can already start discussing who will govern Gaza soon.
“One cannot imagine a solution to the crisis without a strategic defeat of Hamas […] it is not too late to start discussing the future of Gaza and who will rule it, since Hamas is no longer in the picture”, the conservative leader said at an event organised by The Economist in Athens.
Mitsotakis explained that the Palestinian Authority has proven effective in governing the West Bank.
“In my mind, the only solution can be reviving the two-state dialogue. That is, the right of the Palestinians to have their state, without threatening Israel’s right to have their own state”, he said.
The centre-right New Democracy-led government (EPP) has been supportive of Israel since the beginning of the crisis, drawing fierce criticism from the opposition for its abstention in a recent UN Gaza ceasefire vote.
Read more: EU governments slammed for abstention in UN Gaza ceasefire vote
Politically, the Greek government also wants to remind its Western allies of its role as a nation of stability in the region, considering Turkey’s stance in the Middle East crisis.
Ankara has strongly criticised Israel, saying Hamas – considered by the West a terrorist organisation – is a “liberation group”.
“It is not easy to find room for further improvement in Greek-Turkish relations with [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan being on the wrong side of history as he refuses to condemn Hamas, calling it a liberation movement. We’ll take one step at a time, making sure we have clear goals and hoping for the best”, the Greek leader concluded.
(Sarantis Michalopoulos | Euractiv.com)
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Source: euractiv.com
