Israel Allies Foundation parliamentary activity scrutiny

Political scrutiny has emerged in Greece and Cyprus regarding the activities of the ‘Israel Allies Foundation’ and its efforts to establish parliamentary support groups.

In Greece, opposition parties such as the New Left Party and Mera25 have demanded transparency following a private meeting at the Athens Club. The gathering, which included government officials, members of parliament, and former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, reportedly involved Israeli Technology Minister Gila Gamliel and the Israeli Ambassador to Greece. Critics have questioned the objectives of the meeting and expressed concerns that the foundation promotes policies contrary to international law and United Nations resolutions.

This tension escalated within the Greek Parliament during a confrontation between Zoë Konstantopoulou, president of Plevesi Eleftherias, and Pavlos Christidis, parliamentary spokesperson for PASOK. Konstantopoulou accused Christidis of promoting foreign interests through his attendance at the Athens Club meeting with a ‘Zionist organization’ that she claimed undermines democracy. Christidis dismissed these allegations as ‘fake news’ and accused Konstantopoulou of engaging in ‘communication games’ for social media.

Similarly, in Cyprus, the AKEL political party has formally requested clarifications from the President of the Cyprus House of Representatives. AKEL is questioning the use of parliamentary facilities for an event that facilitated the formation of a joint parliamentary group involving members from DISY, DIKO, and ELAM. The party has raised concerns regarding the approval process, funding sources, and the institutional status of the group, suggesting that collaboration with organizations promoting the interests of third countries may conflict with the Republic of Cyprus’s stance on international law.