Excluding all Italian and Greek populations, and listing those that have some basis for the comparison to be made. The question refers to genetics, ethnogenesis, overall ancestral similarity etc. it might not just be able to be answered by distance but also the amount of each component, etc.
By this I mean closest culturally, historically, most able to “pass” as Libyan from their features etc.
Note: this is only capturing North African influence —> elsewhere. It is not measuring overall similarity.
Portugal and Greece are at the opposite ends of Southern Europe and have notable genetic differences. Portuguese have a North African component and Greece has a Slavic one, both entirely absent in the opposite group. Greece also has significantly more Caucasus-related admixture. Yet, I feel these differences are less reflected in their appearances than you might assume.
Considering the genetics and phenotype. Culture irrelevant to the question.
Outside of Italy? I excluded obvious choices like Aegean islands, southern Greece, Malta, Ashkenazim, and other Italians.
Between these choices who are the most genetically related and phenotypically similar?
**Culture is not relevant to the question.
Portugal, parts of Spain and Sicily, and Malta, and even some western Jewish populations have a North African genetic element.
Why is this nearly absent in Greece and the Aegean islands? What historical factors led to this being the case?
By this I do not mean culturally but in terms of genetics and phenotype.
Western Sicily is characterized by elevated North African/Berber, Germanic, Northern Italian, and Levantine ancestry that have stacked on top of and somewhat reduced the Aegean/Anatolian genetic base of Sicily, which to begin with was always stronger in the east and center, rather than the west. These added elements are all features of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, whereas the Aegean islands are a mixture of Aegean/Anatolian, mainland Greek (including Balkan and Slavic elements), and a smaller Levantine part.
With all considered, who ends up being more similar specifically to WESTERN Sicily, meaning Trapani, Palermo, and Agrigento?