A scenario that reaches the limits of provocation and political irresponsibility returns to the forefront, at a time when geopolitical instability in the Eastern Mediterranean is escalating dangerously: the idea of purchasing Greek islands as safe havens for foreign populations, and specifically by Israelis.
According to information circulating in Israeli media, circles connected to former Defense Minister Benny Gantz are said to have examined the prospect of relocation to Greek islands that would be used in the event of a war crisis.
According to the same information, a representative of the party Kahol Lavan (Blue and White), under the leadership of Benny Gantz, had initiated a relevant effort, utilizing funds from the Jewish National Fund (JNF).
Avri Steiner, a member of the board of directors of Himnuta, a company connected to the JNF, had raised the issue in 2022.
Speaking to the newspaper Maariv, Steiner had stated characteristically: What will we do if a scenario is implemented that threatens a large part of the population? We must examine alternative options for protecting people.
She recently reiterated that approximately 40 Greek islands are uninhabited and could, under conditions, be developed if acquired.
The discussion, which is said to have been triggered by fear of Iranian attacks, includes even scenarios of purchase or infrastructure development.
However, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the proposal was rejected by the majority of board members, on the grounds that the founding purpose of the JNF does not include the purchase of land outside Israel.
The idea of purchasing Greek islands is not new.
In 2012, Haaretz had reported that a similar proposal had been examined for the lease or purchase of a Greek island for the Israeli navy, however this was deemed unnecessary by the then Defense Minister, Ehud Barak.
Reasonable questions
From the Greek side, it has at times been reported that the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund is examining the possibility of long term leasing of certain uninhabited islands and islets, within the framework of asset utilization and reduction of public debt.
It is noted that Greece is proceeding with privatizations in shipyards and ports to strengthen its revenues.
It is also recalled that last December 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the presence of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides, made indirect remarks against Turkey, without naming it, stating: To those who imagine that they can revive empires and impose their dominance: forget it. This will not happen.
He also stressed that together we will ensure enhanced security, prosperity and freedom in the Mediterranean.
However, the plans for purchasing Greek islands raise reasonable questions:
How is it possible for the issue to be raised, even theoretically, of utilizing Greek territory as a backup plan for third countries?
And above all, how do some consider that Greece, due to economic pressures, could appear receptive and positive to such proposals?
Even if these specific ideas were rejected within Israeli institutions, with the argument that they do not fall within the founding purpose of organizations such as the Jewish National Fund, their very formulation reveals a worrying mentality: the treatment of sovereign territories as geopolitical tools.
Alibi
The invocation of security cannot function as an alibi for dangerous overreach.
Statements about threat scenarios and the need to find alternative solutions for the protection of populations do not legitimize the export of such plans at the expense of other countries.
At the same time, the reproduction by certain media of the idea that Greece could concede islands constitutes a national insult.
Yes, the country has at times examined models of asset utilization, such as long term leases.
But this is far removed from scenarios of granting national space for geopolitical plans of third parties.
Of course, this is not the first time such ideas have appeared.
As early as 2012, thoughts had been expressed about the military use of a Greek island, which were then rejected as unnecessary.
The fact that they reappear today, in an even more volatile environment, makes the situation more concerning.
At the same time, public statements about security in the Mediterranean and indirect remarks against regional powers reinforce the image of a geopolitical landscape where Greek islands risk being turned into pawns of broader rivalries.
Greece must be absolutely clear: its sovereignty is not a subject of negotiation, nor a fallback solution for the crises of other countries.
Any different interpretation not only undermines international order, but opens dangerous doors in an already unstable region.
In an era where borders and national sovereignty are being tested globally, such scenarios are not simply unfortunate thoughts.
They are warning signs of where the lack of national dignity may lead.
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