ISRAEL HAYOM
Facing a ‘Muslim NATO’: Israel’s biggest-ever defense deal reshapes the Mediterranean
Aharon Lapidot
August 30, 2026

Barring any last-minute surprises, Israel and Greece are set to sign a historic defense agreement Monday that amounts to nothing less than a geostrategic earthquake. The two countries will sign what is expected to be the largest Israeli defense export deal in the country’s history: the €3.1 billion ($3.6 billion) Achilles’ Shield project, approved in Greece about a month ago. Greece is moving away from its aging Russian and European systems and entrusting the defense of its skies, from Athens to the popular tourist islands of the Aegean Sea, to three advanced Israeli missile-defense systems. Anyone following today’s threat map understands that this is more than a military procurement deal. It represents a reassessment of the regional balance of power. The diplomatic and strategic significance of the agreement extends far beyond the Mediterranean. In recent years, a Sunni alliance has been taking shape among Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, seeking to set the tone in both the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin. READ MORE