Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in his rejoinder on the floor of the Plenary of the Parliament, responded in a strict tone to Sokratis Famello and Nikos Androulakis, to the criticism they leveled at the government for the attitude it took in the Israel-Hamas war.
Mr. Mitsotakis repeated Greece’s position, separating the terrorist organization Hamas, as he said, from the Palestinian people and stressing that Israel’s military response should take into account international law.
Hamas is a terrorist organization and is harming the Palestinian people
“We separated Hamas from the Palestinian people. Hamas is a terrorist organization and is harming the Palestinian people and must be defeated,” the prime minister said, adding that Greece called for “humanitarian pauses and a halt to operations to support the civilians of Gaza, as the attack has escalated far beyond a so-called reaction after the attack received by Israel”.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, addressing Sokratis Famellos and Nikos Androulakis, said “in Cairo I saw President Abbas and I also talked to him on the phone, Mr. Famellos and Mr. Androulakis”. It is noted that earlier the president of the KO of SYRIZA had accused the prime minister of meeting only the prime minister of Israel and not the president of the Palestinian Authority, during his recent visit to the war zone.
The prime minister then defended Greece’s decision to abstain from the UN resolution calling for a ceasefire, without any mention of Hamas. “And yes, we did not vote for the UN resolution, like most European countries, because it was not balanced and did not harmonize with national interests – that is, respect for the strategic relationship with Israel but also respect for human rights and not to lose human lives unjustifiably lives in Gaza,” he said.
“Mr. Androulakis, read a little more, otherwise you are out of tune”
Closing the issue of Gaza, the prime minister attacked the president of PASOK, Nikos Androulakis. “And really, Mr. Androulakis, you came and told us about the great political legacy of PASOK. And you referred to the times of Andreas Papandreou and Yasser Arafat, in the 80s, claiming what? That the country’s relations with our wider neighborhood were balanced then?
“Because I want to remind you – because you probably don’t remember them well – that during the time of Andreas Papandreou, Greece was the only country that had not officially recognized the state of Israel. And this you come and claim now, referring to that period, that it was a balanced policy. Either you don’t know them, so you’d do well to educate yourself and read a little more about your party’s history, or you’re simply off topic by making this particular reference.
“Mind you, I didn’t refer to other PASOK leaders who maintained a more balanced stance. The state of Israel was recognized by a decision of Constantinos Mitsotakis in April 1990 and we were the last European country to recognize Israel. And you are coming back to this period. What can I tell you now? From there, let everyone draw their own conclusions.”
Mitsotakis: Everything is changing in the selection of public administrations – The Greece of 2023 is better than the Greece of 2019
New attack on Famellos and Androulakis: You said the same before the elections and got 17% and 12%
Continuing his rebuttal, the prime minister responded to SYRIZA and PASOK regarding wiretapping and the Anti-Corruption Commission. “I listen to the arguments of Mr. Famelou and Androulakis and it reminds me of the first record of our teenage years. The same music: Mr. Androulakis’ single-issue obsession with rule of law issues, reinstatement of wiretapping. Let Mr. Famelos talk about “Mitsotakis SA” etc. Change your trope, expand your range. Mr. Famellos says that we exclude Mitsotakis SA from Europe as well. You said the same before the elections and then the ND got 41%, you got 17% and you got 12%. Change, expand your range,” said the prime minister.
“The ballot box does not wash away a possible crime, it is the job of the judiciary to investigate it. How did you know that AADE will impose a fine? Is this authority independent or a strainer? How many months had the term of office of the members of AADE expired? Nine? “Greece is making continuous progress in matters of the rule of law according to Europe,” added Mr. Mitsotakis.
“Mr. Androulakis, you come from the European Parliament and you know that there is a final judge and that is the European Commission. Greece is making continuous progress in matters of rule of law, says the Commission. Now what do you say and what does Mr. Rammos say?”
Closing his rebuttal, the prime minister made reference to the ECB meeting in Athens with the participation of eurozone bankers. “Greece received flattering comments from Eurozone bankers from those who are also responsible for the heavy austerity climate the country experienced and everyone recognizes the country’s progress, with the reduction of unemployment, the recovery of the investment grade and the attraction of foreign investments. Since you say it is so normal and so easy, why didn’t the previous ones do it?”, said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“I close with the monumental phrase of Mr. Famellos who told us that SYRIZA, in its magnanimity, wondered how we kept the administrators in the hospitals. Remember what you have done, as by law you had dismissed the administrators!”, said Mr. Mitsotakis, recalling the law of Panagiotis Kouroumplis during SYRIZA.
Famellos: It is a shame that the Greek Prime Minister only meets the Prime Minister of Israel and not the President of Palestine
In his speech, earlier, the president of SYRIZA’s KO, Sokratis Famellos, referred to the issue of the Israel-Hamas war, the wiretapping and the Ministry of Interior’s bill on the change in the way of selecting administrations in the public sector, launching an attack on the government.
“It is a strategic mistake with dangerous ramifications for the country and above all a shame for the Greek people that the Greek Prime Minister does not follow the balanced stance of France, Spain, Portugal and many other countries, meeting only the Prime Minister of Israel and not its President of Palestine, to state that whatever happens must happen without great human cost and that a humanitarian truce must be imposed when necessary, not to condemn the death of civilians at the Monastery of Saint Porphyry and to abstain from a UN resolution for a ceasefire fire”.
“Greece’s interest requires it to promote peace, stability and international law in its region. Not to rely on a one-dimensional foreign policy of the given ally, to the detriment of our country’s interests and principles,” said Mr. Famellos.
Androulakis: How many thousands of child and civilian victims should we vote in favor of the humanitarian truce?
Mr. Androulakis also referred to the situation in the Middle East and Greece’s position in the war.
“For us, the condemnation of Hamas is unreserved. It is not only a terrorist organization but the brutality of this organization is beyond human nature, with Islamic state practices. We condemn her brutality. But we must universally guard human values, without weighing correlations. The protection of civilians and children. Humanism cannot be an exception. The country abstained from the resolution for the immediate truce! How many thousands of children and civilian victims should we vote in favor of the humanitarian truce? PASOK cultivated contacts with the Arab world! We succeeded in making Greece a model and synonymous with principles and values. It is this faction that did not prevent and worked to have a strategic relationship with Israel with Prime Minister George Papandreou. An alliance that must continue to exist. We can stand right on the right side of history by serving our humanity and values and not playing divisive communication games. Israel has a right to Defense, but our country should stand at the UN on the side of respect for human rights. This is how our country learned in the post-colonial period, this is how the parties should work”.
