SYRIZA described the revelations as “a major issue of democracy,” noting that the report refers to cooperation between New Democracy figures — including current minister Stavros Papastavrou — and Israeli political communication specialists experienced in public-opinion influence.
The New Left stressed that the disclosures “require immediate responses,” highlighting what it calls indications of opaque political dealings and negotiations around the Israeli state apparatus.
According to Haaretz, Herzog encouraged his long-time adviser Motti Sander to assist ND ahead of the 2023 election. A diplomatic source told the newspaper that the Greek government appeared cautious due to the unfolding wiretapping scandal in 2022, which had already led to high-level resignations.
Israeli consultants reportedly visited Greece repeatedly, focusing mainly on ND’s digital campaign strategy. While the party fell short of a parliamentary majority in the first round, it won decisively in the second, enabling Kyriakos Mitsotakis to form a new government. Haaretz also reports that Herzog was regularly briefed on the campaign’s progress.
SYRIZA linked the report to the broader surveillance affair, noting that illegal Israeli spyware was used to target ministers, MPs, businesspeople and even the leadership of the Armed Forces. The party argues that the new disclosures “illustrate how Kyriakos Mitsotakis organised and secured his rise to power,” calling him “the prime minister of para-state mechanisms and shadow advisers.”
The New Left issued a detailed set of questions to the government:
• Was there involvement of Israeli consultants in ND’s pre-election activities?
• Who authorised contacts between ND officials, including Papastavrou, and individuals tied to the Israeli political establishment?
• What services were provided in the field of “online influence,” and under what institutional or financial framework?
• How did the government ensure that electoral law and national sovereignty were not violated?
The party argues that the emerging picture “is deeply disturbing,” claiming that Mitsotakis appears “politically dependent on the leadership of a state facing accusations of war crimes and repeated violations of international law.”
It concludes by demanding that the prime minister, Papastavrou and any other involved officials provide full explanations, stating: “Democracy cannot function with secret advisers, shadow agreements and foreign interventions.”
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