A group of 30 retired Greek generals and admirals from the army, navy and air force announced Wednesday they are prepared to put their technical expertise at the disposal of the Palestine Liberation Organization in its struggle against Israel.
The declaration was issued in Tunis, where the retired officers met at length with PLO chief Yasir Arafat, affirmed their solidarity with the Palestinian cause and condemned Israel for its “barbaric acts against the Palestinians and refusal to abide by United Nations resolutions.”
The group includes the former top-ranking officer in the Greek navy, Vice Admiral Nikos Pappas.
Another retired naval commander, Andonis Naxakis, assisted the PLO last month in its attempts to sail a shipload of several hundred Palestinian deportees and their sympathizers to Israel. The effort was aborted when the vessel purchased by the PLO was crippled by an underwater explosion in Limassol harbor, Cyprus.
According to Naxakis, Arafat told the group he was deeply touched by the solidarity the Greek government and people have shown with the Palestinians.
Greece, which maintains only low-level diplomatic relations with Israel, has favored the Arabs in the Middle East conflict since the Lebanon war in 1982.
But it also has shown signs of seeking better relations with Israel. The two countries concluded an agreement for the joint promotion of tourism from North American last year and are now negotiating to extend it to the European and Far Eastern tourist markets.
The government reiterated Wednesday that the Middle East conflict can be resolved only by a political settlement based on international law.
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