President Rivlin has held a working meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on the regional situation, with an emphasis on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the possibilities for renewing the talks. Rivlin made it clear at the outset, “The denial of the right of the State of Israel to exist is the main obstacle we face. We can talk about anything but if there are people on the other side who challenge our right to exist, we will not remain silent or stand idly by.” He added, “We are in a serious crisis of trust between us and the Palestinians and significant elements such as the Greek government can be a real force in influencing our neighbors, and persuading them to return to the negotiating table.”
The two also discussed bilateral relations and strengthening the existing partnerships between the two countries. Earlier, Rivlin discussed those topics with counterpart Prokopis Pavlopoulos, also touching on the current situation in Gaza, and the Iran’s efforts in Lebanon and on Israel’s northern borders.