Good news from Greece

Great to see Israel strengthening ties with other countries. When will the Arab countries learn that friendship with Israel is far more valuable than animosity?

Matt, much as on one level you are correct, we are talking about Greece, a country that only a few months ago was on the verge of bankruptcy and if it weren't for German tax payers would have gone bust.
It's cynical, but perhaps the Greeks see this as a way of getting close to the Americans. The Israelis call this "inverse anti-Semitism". The thinking goes: "if they think the Jews can help them with money, who are we to disabuse them"?

Thinking Israel can help Greece with money is so ludicrous that it doesn't even have to be denied. Israel is a poor country, due to the efforts necessary to keep its borders secure. But its economy is rather good despite that, certainly better than that of most of its aggressors except the oil monarchies.
Greece can be as useful to Israel than Israel to Greece, that is a market opportunity to both as close countries, in need of economic help for one and in need of a foothold in Europe for the other one.
This is just as any other economic deal, where both partner win.
I don't see why it would be necessary to involve antisemitism, direct of reverse, in that.

Israel, as a member of the OECD, is not a poor country. In fact, according to the CIA world Factbook

Israel has a technologically advanced market economy. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable trade deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the US, its major source of economic and military aid. Israel's GDP, after contracting slightly in 2001 and 2002 due to the Palestinian conflict and troubles in the high-technology sector, grew about 5% per year from 2004-07. The global financial crisis of 2008-09 spurred a brief recession in Israel, but the country entered the crisis with solid fundamentals - following years of prudent fiscal policy and a series of liberalizing reforms - and a resilient banking sector, and the economy has shown signs of an early recovery. Following GDP growth of 4% in 2008, Israel's GDP slipped to 0.2% in 2009, but reached 3.4% in 2010, as exports rebounded. The global economic downturn affected Israel's economy primarily through reduced demand for Israel's exports in the United States and EU, Israel's top trading partners. Exports account for about 25% of the country's GDP. The Israeli Government responded to the recession by implementing a modest fiscal stimulus package and an aggressive expansionary monetary policy - including cutting interest rates to record lows, purchasing government bonds, and intervening in the foreign currency market. The Bank of Israel began raising interest rates in the summer of 2009 when inflation rose above the upper end of the Bank's target and the economy began to show signs of recovery.

It's GDP per capita is around $30,000 (47th in the world) which is higher than most southern European states, all those trhat joined the EU in the last round of expansion and certainly higher than its neighbours.
As for the military spend, it's about 7% of GDP.

Of course, Israel is not 'poor' compared to Bangladesh. But compared to the Western countries, it remains a poor one, regardless of GDP, because cost of living is significantly higher here.
No doubt economy is good and that the military spending is kept lower than it should be by American money. But this won't last forever.
Israel's main asset is it brain power, but the country has to import a big part of industrial products and energy. That may change in the next ten years.

Israel will benefit from closer ties with Europe and Greece can certainly help. Now that Turkey is gone to Islamist influence, Greece can also be a strategic military partner.

So Israel has a lot to gain in an alliance with Greece.

Compare like with like. Israel is not poor compared to most southern European states and all those countries which joined the EU, Cyprus, Malta, the Baltic states, Hungary, Poland, Czech republic, Slovakia etc. The cost of living in Israel is comparable with the UK, certainly with regards to energy costs, basic food stuffs and transport and property prices are fast catching up.
Greece has far more to gain in closer ties with Israel than vice-versa. Israeli tourists who would normally go to Antalia in Turkey for a start and Greece's expectation that Israel can open markets in the US and elsewhere -- something Israel will not deny.
Israel has many military partners (Greece, Italy, the US, to name but three), including the Turks, whose military would object to any political interference.
So no, Israel -- an OECD member -- is not a poor country on very many levels, and it ill behoves us to treat it as such.

The cost of living in Israel is comparable with the UK

Compare like with like, Milligramsam. Cost of living in Israel is superior to cost of living in France! and the wages are much lower.

Greece has far more to gain in closer ties with Israel than vice-versa.

Says who? Greece can be the strategic military partner that Turkey is certainly not anymore. Gaz offshore findings will need EU imports and the closer the better.

and it ill behoves us to treat it as such.

Well, that is not for a foreigner to judge us, Milligramsam.

And there was me thinking you'd got a message telling you to keep calm. The cost of living in Israel is the same as France and the wages are almost the same. It has not gone through an economic downturn that the rest of the West has suffered.
Israel is not a poor, nebbisher country. It's an economic powerhouse, it has a growth rate to die for, an OECD member, a regional military power, and it needs to be treated as such. If it has any problems, its so-called friends treating it like a poor little child that needs to be hugged constantly.

I knew it wouldn't take Jose long to lose his rag. Ignore him.

The cost of living in Israel is comparable with the UK

'kin expensive then!!

Indeed, Matt. Petrol is now more expensive, and Netanyahu has been forced into a U-turn on fuel duty and water rates after people, even from his own party, started to threaten Egypt-style protests.

'kin expensive then!!

And wages are way lower. So you can imagine what it means for the 'average' family.
The good thing is social security is much better.

The cost of living in Israel is the same as France and the wages are almost the same.

"almost" means "about half", Milligramsam. Don't speak about what you ignore.

it has a growth rate to die for

What the hell of a proof is that? Most poor countries have a high growth rate, especially since they are poor.

Milligramsam, your faulty logic is to blame.