Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis has described Greece as an "honest broker" between Israel and Palestine in an interview with the Associated Press. Meanwhile, his name is noticeably absent from two key EU initiatives: one calling for a reassessment of the EU-Israel trade agreement, and another urging an intensification of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

A call for ceasefire, but no endorsement of EU reassessment initiative

Speaking from New York, where he was attending open debates at the UN Security Council under Greece’s presidency, Gerapetritis sat down with AP’s Edith Lederer to discuss the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

Addressing the bloodshed in Gaza, he repeated Greece’s call for “massive humanitarian aid for Gaza and a speedy ceasefire.” That said, he chose not to support the Dutch-led proposal, backed by several EU countries, calling for a reassessment of the EU’s wide-ranging trade agreement with Israel.

Support for a two-state solution and Gaza reconstruction

Gerapetritis said Greece continues to support a two-state solution and revealed that discussions on the future reconstruction of Gaza have been held extensively with both Israeli and Palestinian officials. He positioned Greece as playing a constructive role, referring to the country as an “honest broker”

Speaking more broadly about the Middle East conflict, he remarked: “We would like to be actively involved, but to be totally honest, it’s not a matter of who mediates, it’s a matter of stopping the nightmare.” He strongly condemned the 7 October 2023 killing of 1,200 people from Hamas, calling it “absolutely inhumane,” and also denounced the ongoing hostage situation. However, he only later acknowledged the reported 53,000 Palestinian deaths – mostly women and children, according to local authorities – claiming: “I cannot really tolerate what is happening now in the Middle East.”

On Thursday, Gerapetritis is due to chair a UN Security Council session on the Protection of civilians in armed conflict. In this context, he once again emphasised the need for a ceasefire and stepped-up humanitarian relief for Gaza.

Global instability and crisis of Democracy

Turning to the wider global landscape, the minister warned that growing inequality threatens democracy and the rule of law. “We have turned into an era where populism and demagogues are essentially ruling the state,” he said, linking current instability to rapid technological change and increased mobility. From pandemics to climate change and migration, he said, the challenges of our era touch everyone. He also highlighted a deepening crisis in global cooperation and a growing mistrust in international organisations.

Still, he expressed hope that democracy has a “self-correcting mechanism” and stressed the need for “strong leadership in major nations and international organisations – “to make people believe in the noble cause of being together in peace and prosperity.”

“Political identity crisis” within the EU

On internal EU affairs, Gerapetritis acknowledged that the principle of unanimity among the 27 member states has become an obstacle. Nevertheless, he defended the right of veto as an expression of national interest. He said Europe is currently facing a “political identity crisis,” adding, “It seems that on occasions, we forget what are the essential elements that brought us together as Europeans, and we do suffer from some divergences and conflict.”

“And now we’re suffering the post-shock syndrome after the war in Ukraine. So I think Europe needs again to find its resilience and identity.”

On continued support for Ukraine

On Ukraine, Gerapetritis reaffirmed Greece’s commitment to the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, stating that Greece stands firmly on the side of international law. While acknowledging that Western sanctions on Russia have only been “partially successful,” he pointed out that Moscow has found ways to circumvent their impact. He stressed that the sanctions have not become “a turning point for peace.”

On Greece–U.S. Relations

On relations with the United States, Gerapetritis noted significant American investment in Greece from major companies such as Amazon, Google, and Pfizer, describing the relationship as strong and rooted in shared support for free trade. Regarding tariffs introduced by the Trump administration, he said these had little direct impact on Greece, which is “not overexposed to that type of bilteral trade.” While tariffs are “not good news,” he added, “we do believe there must be a modus vivendi.”

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