​Statement by PM Netanyahu after the trilateral meeting

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, today (Thursday, 15 June 2017), in Thessaloniki, at the third trilateral summit, signed joint statements for the continued strengthening of relations.
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu:
 
"Thank you. My dear friends, Alexis and Nicos, this is our third trilateral meeting. It’s held in a symbolically significant city in terms of Jewish history. And I want to say, since you covered all the topics, let me just emphasize three things – the past, the present and the future.
 
In the past, Thessaloniki was a city inhabited by Jews for 2,300, almost 2,400 years, over 2,000 years, and it was the nexus, the meeting ground of Jewish culture and Greek culture. It’s important to understand that our modern civilization sits on these two pillars. We call it Athens and Jerusalem, but it includes Thessaloniki in there, Cyprus in between.
 
These are the foundations of our common values, the values of human freedom, freedom of inquiry, equal rights. These are all conceptions that were bred in the meeting ground – the faith in God that all people are created in the image of God and deserve the same rights. These are revolutionary ideas that developed in the meeting ground of these two great cultures. So the past is very much evident here. And it’s also something that holds a special meaning and a personal meaning for many, many families in Israel, including one of our ministers who are here with our delegation of ministers, who happens to come from a family of Thessaloniki. We know the triumphs this city had, and we know the tragedies. We are now looking into the present and into the future.
 
As far as the present is concerned, I think that there is something that always amazed me when we began these connections with Greece and with Cyprus. It amazed me that having had this past, we didn’t have a relationship in the present. We did, but it was very cool and removed and I thought that it had to change because there’s a simple fact about Cyprus, Greece and Israel that brings us very close together. We’re all democracies, real democracies. And when you look in the present in our region, especially looking eastward and some other directions as well, that’s not a very common commodity. So the fact that we have democratic societies – vibrant, strong democratic societies – should be a way to bring us together, and I think this is happening in front of our very eyes. It was long overdue. It’s so natural, it’s so obvious, because there are so many similarities of culture and values that come to bear. But I would say the fact that we’re democracies, I think, is the most obvious and important one.
 
Looking into the future, I would say, we discussed two things. The first is energy. I don’t mean just… I mean many types of energy, including the transmission, the production possibly and the transmission of electricity, and of course the idea of the EastMed pipeline, which would be a revolution. We’ve had preliminary studies of it. It seems promising, and we’re going to look further into it, but it would connect our three countries and Italy. It’s something we’re very excited about.
 
So this is one type of energy, but there is another type of energy that in my opinion is equally exciting and actually holds much, much greater potential, and that’s the energy of the mind. The true wealth that is generated in the world today is generated by conceptual products. And it’s the ability to innovate and create new industries, new businesses, and generate wealth for all our citizens is based on our capacity to innovate.
 
In this regard, we’ve discussed and agreed to have exchanges of Greek and Cypriot students, and Israelis, to see how we can forge together the culture of innovation, which I think could change, is changing the future of our countries. Israel is well-known in its pursuit of innovation, but I was struck by the dedication of Cyprus and Greece to go in this direction as well. We are partners in the future. So from every point of view, I don’t think I’ve covered any other dimension, because it’s past, present and future. This is a natural partnership, and one that we are deeply appreciative of.
 
I want to say that I look forward to our next visit. I think it’s become now not an annual, but a semi-annual meeting, and… It’s not yet quarterly, but expect semi-annual. It’s wonderful.
 
Yes, the Prime Minister said to me, 'Do you think there is a problem with the humidity?' And I said I’m not too impressed by the physical climate. I’m more impressed with the climate of friendship."

PM Netanyahu at Holocaust museum site in Thessaloniki

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, together with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, attended the unveiling of a plaque to mark the construction of a Holocaust museum in Thessaloniki .
 
Greek Prime Minister Tsipras noted the common history of Greece and Israel and added that the future museum would enshrine both the memory of the Holocaust and one of the most dramatic periods in the history of Thessaloniki. He remarked that the museum would also serve to impart these memories to the city's next generation as it presented what happened. He said that he looked forward to welcoming Prime Minister Netanyahu back for the dedication of the museum.
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu: 
 
"I'm delighted to be here with my friend, the Prime Minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras and my friend, the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades and their delegations, the members of the municipality, our delegation, my wife Sara who comes from a family of a Holocaust survivor. Her father is the only one of a family of almost 100 people who survived and therefore, this visit here is particularly moving for us because Thessaloniki is a famous city in Jewish history and in Greek history and these histories were intertwined from the fourth century B.C. and proceeded obviously to have a change with the infusion of Jews after the expulsion from Spain. My father was a great scholar of the Spanish Inquisition and he often talked to me about where did the Jews go and many of them went here, and of course half this city, half this city, by the beginning of the 20th century, was comprised of Jewish people.
 
And then there were two great calamities: one is the fire of 1917 which burned this entire area and burned the Jewish quarter but didn't destroy the Jews and the second was a greater fire, the Nazi fire. The Nazi fire destroyed about 95% of this extraordinary and proud Jewish community. There were two reasons why they didn’t destroy everyone. The first was heroism of Greeks and this was exemplified in one case that is not sufficiently well-known, the case of the Island of Zakynthos where the German commander said: 'Give me a list of the Jews' and the Bishop and the Mayor brought a list of the Jews, their two names. They said: 'These are our Jews. Take us'. We honor these two great heroes among the righteous among the nations in Yad Vashem, an institution that will work with this museum.
 
There's a second reason why they survived and that is in addition to fate. It is a special capacity, the grip of life that is exemplified among the survivors. One of them is Moshe Ha-Elion who is today 93, I believe. He lit a torch. Every year in Jerusalem, in Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, we light six torches in memory of the six million. And this year, Moshe Ha-Elion lit one of the torches. And he described how he survived the Holocaust in Thessaloniki, extraordinary heroism, unbelievable, unbelievable story. And I said to him: 'You know, I'm going to meet my friends in the Tripartite Summit in Thessaloniki. I want you to come with me.' And he was very, very excited, as we were, and so we agreed.
 
Yesterday morning, we're about to fly to Thessaloniki and we hear that he's in the hospital and the doctor is treating him. He said to the doctor: 'Please, release me. I have to go to Thessaloniki.' And the doctor refused to do that. So I called his daughter, Rachel, and his son Eliyahu and I said: 'Why don't you come and represent him?'
 
And if you don't mind, Alexis, I would like them to join us in unveiling the plaque that will be in the museum to commemorate what happened here for two purposes, commemoration and prevention. We commemorate the loss of these human beings, our fellow Jews, but we also dedicate ourselves to make sure that this horror will never happen again.
 
This is the purpose and meaning, the first purpose and the first meaning of the State of Israel, but I believe it's something that should be shared by all humanity. So for these two great goals I want to thank you and I want to thank as well the Government of Germany for supporting this, the members of the Jewish community, and of course all the donors. Thank you all."
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife then attended a ceremony in which the son of a survivor, from the island of Cephalonia, of the 1953 earthquake   read a letter of gratitude – which was written by survivors – to the State of Israel for the assistance of the Israeli navy. (Israeli navy vessels were among the first to reach the island following the earthquake.)
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu noted that, "Firefighting aircraft assisted us in extinguishing major fire in northern Israel, and saved part of Haifa, the 'Thessaloniki of Israel'. And therefore I would like to thank you for the help you provided. Thank you."

PM Netanyahu's remarks at the synagogue in Thessaloniki

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara visited a Thessaloniki synagogue on Thursday, 15 June, together with Jewish community president David Shaltiel, Thessaloniki Rabbi Yisrael Aharon, Mayor Yiannis Boutaris and Jewish community leaders.
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu:
 
"My wife and I are delighted to be here, along with our ministers of the Israeli government and our entire delegation. We bring you greetings from Jerusalem, Shalom m’Yerushalayim.
 
It is very moving to be here in this architectural gem, but more than being a beautiful building, it’s evocative of the great history and the great tragedy that befell the Jews of Greece.
 
I have to say that I’m a historian’s son, so I know a little about the history of the Jews of Greece and, when you think about it, the history of the Greek-Jewish community, and specifically that history anchored in Thessaloniki, withstood three of the greatest tragedies that befell our people.
 
First, the destruction of the Temple by the Romans. This community absorbed Jews who left Judea. And second, the Great Expulsion from Spain. This community absorbed Jews who were expelled from Spain. And third, and the greatest destruction of all, which is, of course, the Nazi Holocaust.
 
The fire in 1917 destroyed buildings and burned buildings; the Nazi fire burned people, and 97% were destroyed. Three percent survived. These survivors, many of them, are in Israel, and I have to say that they have a love and a remembrance of Thessaloniki that is unmatched. They speak about it, they write about it, they… in many ways they remember it as a great center of culture, but also as a personal memory that is exemplified by one of the survivors – Moshe Ha-Elion – one of six who lit the torch of remembrance in our Day of Remembrance for the Nazi Holocaust. He movingly spoke about how he survived; his entire family was wiped out.
 
So, I met him right after the ceremony. My wife and I met him, and we said, 'Please come with us to Thessaloniki so that you can close this circle in your life and the life of our people.' And he fell ill a day before we left for Greece. He asked the doctor, he begged the doctor, 'Please let me come.' And the doctor said, 'No, you cannot come.' And so I asked his daughter, who is here with us, Rachel, and his son – stand up, stand up. Rachel and Eliyahu. They are the children of Moshe Ha-Elion and they continue the line of Thessaloniki Jews in Israel, but they are back here in Thessaloniki.
 
I think this is a testament to the rebirth of our people, which is exemplified in Israel and is a consequence also in many places in the Diaspora.
 
We have rebuilt our people from ashes, and we built a modern state. We came back to our ancestral homeland. We built a country. We built an army – a good one. We built an economy – a very good one. And we rebuilt and took our place among the nations. Among the nations, Israel and Greece have reforged an alliance. It’s a natural alliance of democracies. Israel, Greece and Cyprus are the three real democracies in the Eastern Mediterranean. And we have forged this friendship anew, and we see all the benefits that accrue to it.
 
I’m very grateful to Prime Minister Tsipras for hosting this trilateral meeting.
 
We are strengthening our ties every day. But I think the most interesting thing is the rebirth of the Jewish people and the way that Israel has become a global force – a global force in technology, a global force in fighting the terrorism that threatens all of us, a global force in medicine, in agriculture, in energy, a global force for the future.
 
It’s a tremendous pleasure to come here and to rekindle that spirit and to say one simple thing, and I think I can say this in this synagogue as best as I can say it in any place on Earth – and that statement is this, three simple words:
 
Am Israel Chai ["the Jewish people live on"].
 
Thank you, todah rabah."