Greek Ambassador Meets Jewish Leaders Who Express Their Concern over Greece’s Middle East Policy

The Greek Ambassador to the United States, Nicolas Karandreas, promised a delegation of American Jewish leaders today to convey to his government their concern over recent actions of the Greek government relating to Israel and its Middle East policy in general.

The delegation, headed by Rabbi Arthur Schneier, chairman of the American Section of the World Jewish Congress, expressed particular dismay over the vote by Greece in favor of the recent General Assembly resolution condemning Israel for annexing the Golan Heights and calling for punitive sanctions and isolation of Israel.

The delegation noted that Greece was the only NATO member to vote affirmatively for the Arab-sponsored resolution. The Greek envoy explained that in casting its vote, Greece had explicitly dissociated itself from Hose portions of the resolution calling for sanctions and isolation of Israel. He showed the delegation the document by which Greece formally noted its dissociation for the UN record.

The Jewish leaders expressed hope that the Greek government, in the spirit of its reservations, would resist any efforts to expel Israel from the UN or to apply sanctions against it. They also expressed concern over the recent upgrading of the status of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Greece.

Karandreas noted that his government’s position is that “the core of the Middle Eastern dispute is the Palestinian problem, and … it cannot be denied that the PLO is a factor.”

He said the Greek government has stated repeatedly “that the ultimate solution must guarantee the rights of all peoples” in the region to live in peace and security and that “this certainly and specifically includes the State of Israel.”

CORRECTION

A story in the February 24 Daily News Bulletin on the establishment of the Weiler Chair in Philosophy and Jewish Law at Bar Ilan University was based on a news release which contained two inaccuracies. The gift creating the Chair was made by the family of Jack Weiler as well as the family of Robert Arnow. The Chair commemorates Weiler’s honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree, awarded last June.