Israeli official suggests buying islands in Greece as 'haven'
JNF Subsidiary member Avri Steiner makes the proposition of buying uninhabited Greek islands, and details how to carry out such a plan.
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The Israeli occupation could expand to include islands, now
An Israeli official has made the suggestion of buying uninhabited islands in Greece to evacuate Israeli settlers in case of crises or war, Israeli media reported Wednesday.
According to Maariv, the suggestion was rejected by the majority of the board of directors of Himnuta, a subsidiary of the Jewish National Fund that deals with settlements.
Avri Steiner, a representative of Israeli Security Minister Benny Gantz's Kahol Lavan (Blue and White) Party, said the island would act as a "haven for the Jewish people in case of emergency, as a place for Jewish refugees in times of war," Haaretz reported.
"This is an idea for a project that arose following foreign publications that missiles could hit Israeli territory. In the Second Lebanon War, we saw missiles reach as far as Netanya, and today they may reach further south," he argued.
Regarding the means of making such a plan happen, Steiner said there were 40 uninhabited islands in Greece. "The acquisition is not impossible, as the prices of uninhabited islands are not high."
"We can discuss the prospect of sovereignty with the Greek government," he claimed, asserting that everything must take place "legally" according to intentional standards and with full approval from both parties involved.
The proposal comes amid Israeli and US concerns regarding Iran's growing missile and UAV capabilities as the US CENTCOM chief General Kenneth McKenzie said Tuesday the Islamic Republic had more than 3,000 ballistic missiles.
