Israel’s ambassador to Greece, Pninat Yanai, has condemned the illegal Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum, stressing that the agreement between the two countries lacks any legal basis, validity, or legitimacy. In a social media post, the Israeli diplomat also expressed her country’s full support for Greece’s sovereignty and sovereign rights.
The Israeli ambassador’s message — special mention of Crete and Rhodes
Ambassador Yanai specifically pointed out that, under the maritime agreement, Turkey and Libya attempted to define maritime borders while completely disregarding the rights of Greek islands, including Crete and Rhodes.
She made particular reference to the two islands, describing them as “magnificent” and noting that they are beloved holiday destinations for many Israelis. “Israel strongly condemns this agreement and considers it to lack any legal basis, validity, and legitimacy,” she stated emphatically.
She further clarified that Israel’s position is firmly grounded in respect for Greek sovereignty and the principles of international law. “Israel fully respects the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Greece, as well as the principles of international law,” she noted. “No agreement between two countries can undermine the legitimate rights of a third country,” she concluded.
She accompanied her post with a video of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s recent address to the United Nations, in which he stated, among other things: “Geography cannot be rewritten. And sovereign rights cannot be erased by drawing arbitrary lines on a map.”
See the Israeli ambassador to Greece’s post below:
Στο πλαίσιο της θαλάσσιας συμφωνίας μεταξύ Τουρκίας και Λιβύης, οι δύο χώρες επιχείρησαν να καθορίσουν θαλάσσια σύνορα, αγνοώντας ταυτόχρονα τα θαλάσσια δικαιώματα των ελληνικών νησιών, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της Κρήτης και της Ρόδου — δύο πανέμορφων νησιών όπου πολλοί Ισραηλινοί αγαπούν να περνούν τις διακοπές τους. Το Ισραήλ καταδικάζει έντονα τη συμφωνία αυτή και θεωρεί ότι στερείται νομικής βάσης, εγκυρότητας και νομιμοποίησης. Το Ισραήλ σέβεται απολύτως την κυριαρχία και τα κυριαρχικά δικαιώματα της Ελλάδας, καθώς και τις αρχές του διεθνούς δικαίου. Καμία συμφωνία μεταξύ δύο χωρών δεν μπορεί να υπονομεύσει τα νόμιμα δικαιώματα μιας τρίτης χώρας.
— Israel in Greece 🇮🇱🇬🇷 (@IsraelinGreece) October 31, 2026
