Politics, not visits
…In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet bloc and Moscow’s subsequent withdrawal from the Middle East, PASOK’s so-called political capital in the region has expired. Greece’s political elite may express their unlimited support for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou may contemplate along with Syria’s new President Bashar al-Asad the ties that linked their fathers, but this does not produce genuine politics. Nor can the farce of Papandreou’s expected visit along with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem yield any significant result, particularly if one takes into consideration Turkey’s treatment of the Kurdish minority and its refusal to comply with the UN Security Council resolutions on the Cyprus issue. However, there is still an area where Greece can contribute to the formulation of important decisions: the European Union. Greece should make its presence felt within the context of the EU, which should itself shape a policy that will not be based on the interests of Washington or Tel Aviv but of Europe – a region that is heavily dependent on Mideast oil. Sharon turned down European mediation in the Palestinian crisis and he had every right to do so. But there is nothing to stop the EU, or any EU member state, from recognizing a Palestinian state without waiting for Washington’s green light.
