Historically, this has been a great anniversary. Israel marked the 75th anniversary since Ben-Gurion solemnly read the birth proclamation on May 14, 1948, destined to stand the test of time and trials. Since then, generations of persecuted Jews have found a homeland that has made them feel like they have a place to return to. Just a few years after the exposure of the concentration camps in which six million people were killed, those who built the newly formed state struggled to start a new life. All over the world this anniversary was celebrated on a grand scale. The same thing happened in Athens, which confirms the excellent relations between the two countries, as well as the restoration of the historical role that the centuries-old community of Greek Jews played in our own course.

Noam Katz, the Israeli ambassador who was appointed this fall to succeed Yossi Amrani, welcomed about 500 guests with his wife Einat at Anassa City Events in a park in Goudi. The artistic program added a special flavor to the event. Evantia Rebucika on the violin accompanied the singers Soliya Iohanas and Kostas Triantafillidis, who performed well-known Greek and Israeli melodies in Greek and Hebrew. After all, we must not forget that Greek music is extremely popular in Israel, and many of our singers are extremely popular.

Distinguished guests also enjoyed Mediterranean dishes based on Israeli and Greek cuisine. In his speech, the Ambassador spoke about Israel’s achievements over the past 75 years, the country’s vision, high-tech innovation, relations between Israel and its neighbors, and the recent signing of important peace agreements with more countries in the Middle East. East. With regard to Greek-Israeli relations, the ambassador said that they are stronger than ever, and in the future they create great opportunities for cooperation in areas such as energy, technology, science and health, trade, tourism and culture.

Minister of National Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos, who was invited as a keynote speaker, stressed that Israel and Greece have developed a strategic partnership both in excellent defense cooperation and in other areas, focusing on the example of the Kalamata International Pilot Training Center. The event was attended, in particular, by Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Picrammenos, Commander of the Greek Armed Forces General Konstantinos Floros, parliamentarians, ambassadors, prominent businessmen, scientists, journalists, cultural and artistic figures and friends of Israel.