Envato Market

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – Jerusalem will host a high-level trilateral summit on Monday as Israel, Greece, and Cyprus move to deepen security, energy, and strategic cooperation amid growing concern over Turkey’s expanding military posture in the eastern Mediterranean.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will welcome Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Jerusalem for a meeting officials describe as strategically significant. Netanyahu is expected to hold bilateral talks with each leader before convening the full trilateral session, which will conclude with a joint press statement outlining agreed areas of cooperation.

The summit follows recent reporting by i24NEWS correspondent Amichai Stein, who suggested the three countries were examining a joint rapid-response military unit. While Israeli officials have firmly denied that such a force is on the agenda, the reports underscored how security cooperation has moved to the forefront of the trilateral partnership.

Israeli sources say the meeting reflects a deliberate effort by Jerusalem, Athens, and Nicosia to deepen coordination and present a unified deterrent posture in the face of Turkey’s expanding military activity. Greek officials, in particular, have expressed concern over repeated Turkish violations of Greek airspace, incidents that recently prompted Greek fighter jets to scramble and brought tensions in the Aegean Sea to a peak.

What began roughly 15 years ago as a framework for energy cooperation and regional diplomacy has increasingly taken on a precise security dimension. Israeli officials describe the partnership as a strategic “triangle” designed to signal resolve, restrain escalation, and prevent Turkey from shifting into an openly hostile posture. Turkey is viewed in Jerusalem as a regional rival rather than an outright enemy, with the goal remaining deterrence rather than confrontation.

Security cooperation is expected to dominate the talks, including discussions on joint military exercises, intelligence coordination, and enhanced readiness. A senior Israeli official emphasized that coordination with Greece has been “extremely high” for years, noting dozens of joint drills, trainings, and intelligence exchanges annually. Israeli officials have also confirmed advanced discussions on major arms sales to Greece, including precision-guided munitions and potential missile defense systems, though no final agreements have yet been announced.

At the same time, leaders will place strong emphasis on cooperation in energy and infrastructure. One flagship initiative involves linking Israel, Greece, and Cyprus to a shared electricity grid through an undersea power cable. Greece is already constructing a power line between Crete and Cyprus, and a future connection to Israel would link Israel to the European energy network for the first time.

Natural gas development will also feature prominently, particularly the Aphrodite gas field, which is majority-owned by Cyprus, with Israel holding a significant stake. Cyprus is weighing whether to construct its own gas processing facility, a move that could reshape regional energy dynamics and introduce new competition with Egypt.

The leaders are also expected to discuss the U.S.-backed India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor, an ambitious plan to connect India, the Middle East, Israel, and Europe through advanced rail, energy, and trade infrastructure, with security cooperation as a key pillar of the initiative.

Israeli officials have pushed back strongly against Greek media claims that a joint military intervention force resembling a defense pact is under consideration. “That’s not happening,” one senior official said, stressing that while coordination is deepening, there is no plan for Israeli and Greek forces to fight on each other’s behalf. Officials insist the emphasis remains on deterrence and preparedness.

Beyond military cooperation, the trilateral partnership increasingly includes civilian coordination. Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are exploring the creation of a regional emergency response center to address crises such as wildfires, maritime search-and-rescue operations, and earthquake preparedness.

Tensions with Turkey have loomed large ahead of the summit. During a recent meeting with U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, Israeli officials reportedly warned that escalating rhetoric from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan risks fueling real-world confrontation. While U.S. representatives suggested Erdoğan’s language plays essentially to a domestic audience, Israeli officials cautioned that unchecked incitement can quickly translate into action, particularly in the volatile post–October 7 regional environment.

The summit is also expected to address post-war Gaza, with Greece expressing interest in participating in future reconstruction efforts, underscoring the partnership’s potential role beyond the eastern Mediterranean.

Analysts say the Jerusalem meeting could further solidify Israel, Greece and Cyprus as a strategic bloc, signaling a more unified and coordinated approach to regional defense, energy security and geopolitical challenges.

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