Israel, Cyprus mark painful anniversaries at joint event

Tuesday night’s gala reception at the Tel Aviv Hilton was billed as a joyous occasion to mark 64 years of Cypriot independence from Great Britain.

Overshadowing the Sept. 17 gathering, however, were two sad reminders of ongoing strife: the upcoming first anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre that sparked Israel’s current war in Gaza, and 50 years since the Turkish occupation of Cyprus.

Some 300 diplomats, military brass, business executives and other dignitaries attended the event from dozens of countries, including the ambassadors of Austria, Estonia, Greece, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and the European Union. Yet it surprised no one that Turkey—whose embassy is literally across the street from the Hilton—wasn’t invited to the party.

Kornelios S. Korneliou, Nicosia’s ambassador to Israel since July 2023, said roughly 36% of his island remains under Turkish military occupation since its invasion of Cyprus on July 20, 1974.

“More than one-third of Greek Cypriots were displaced from their homes and became refugees in their own country. Thousands were killed or went missing,” he said. “The events of 1974 have traumatized our people deeply and they still do.”

Kornelios S. Korneliou, the Cypriot ambassador to Israel, speaks during a Sept. 17 diplomatic reception at the Tel Aviv Hilton. (Photo by Larry Luxner)

To drive home that point, an exhibit of historic black-and-white news photos chronicling that invasion greeted visitors as they entered the reception, which was sponsored by half a dozen companies including Eurobank Cyprus, Stelios Americanos and Shoham Cyprus Ltd.

“The passage of time does not, and cannot, change the fact that the Cyprus problem is a result of the illegal Turkish invasion and continuous occupation since 1974,” Korneliou told his audience. “After 50 years, it is high time for Turkey to leave Cyprus together with its 40,000 troops and reunite our island, in line with the relevant decisions of the United Nations and the EU. Cyprus is too small to remain divided.”

The self-styled occupied zone, known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is home to around 385,000 of the island’s 1.3 million inhabitants, 99% of them Muslims of Turkish origin. Yet the de facto TRNC is recognized by only one country: Turkey.

Before the ethnic dispute began in 1964—four years after Great Britain granted Cyprus its independence—the island was inhabited mainly by Greek Cypriots (77.1%) and Turkish Cypriots (18.2%), with the remaining 4.7% consisting of Armenians, Maronites and Lebanese dispersed throughout the entire island. To this day, said Kornelious, around 200,000 Greek Cypriots are still deprived of the right to return to their homes and properties.

Nevertheless, he said, Cyprus is big enough for citizens of both Greek and Turkish ethnicities.

From left: Xenia Nicolaidou, wife of Ambassador Kornelios S. Korneliou; Patriarch Theofilos III; and Louisa Varaclas, director of the Cyprus Tourism Office in Israel. They were among at least 300 guests who attended a Sept. 17 diplomatic reception at the Tel Aviv Hilton to mark Cypriot independence. (Photo by Larry Luxner)

“Today, Cyprus is a vibrant democracy with a thriving economy and since 2004 a well-respected member of the EU,” said Kornelious. “Cyprus has also established a bilateral and regional network in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, promoting dialogue, understanding and cooperation—a credible and a reliable partner in a region with so many challenges.”

This region is, of course, dramatically more dangerous than it was a year ago. Increasingly close ties between Jerusalem and Nicosia have infuriated Lebanon’s Hezbollah, with Hassan Nasrallah warning in June that it would punish Cyprus if it allowed Israel to use its airports and military bases to target Lebanon.

Indeed, deteriorating relations with Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have led to warming ties with Greece, and by extension Cyprus as well. The island has already hosted a number of joint Israeli-Cypriot military drills, a fact reflected in the large number of guests in military uniforms at the Tuesday night’s reception.

Kornelious said his heart still aches for the 1,200 Israelis and others murdered nearly a year ago by terrorists who infiltrated from the Gaza Strip and also took some 250 people hostage.

“The sound of sirens on the morning of Oct. 7 brought memories of 1974 back to me. It was a ghastly experience after three exciting first months in Tel Aviv,” the ambassador said. “Cyprus extended its solidarity to Israel from day one. We have condemned the atrocities of Oct. 7, supported the unconditional release of all hostages and emphasized Israel’s right to self-defense, in line with international law.”

Kornelious added that Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides was “among the first leaders to visit Israel to express our support and solidarity”—and that Cyprus is helping deliver food, medicine and other necessities to Gaza “through the establishment of a maritime corridor from the port of Larnaca for the transfer of humanitarian aid. This was possible not only because of geographical proximity, but due to the trust and excellent relations between Cyprus and Israel.”

Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar represents the Netanyahu government at a Sept. 17 diplomatic reception for Cyprus at the Tel Aviv Hilton. (Photo by Larry Luxner)

Back when his island was still a British colony, he said, more than 53,000 Jewish refugees fled to Cyprus—a transit point on their way to what in 1948 would become Israel.

“Eighty years ago, thousands of Jews were brought to Cyprus against their will. During that period, 2,253 children were born to Holocaust survivors—a symbol of hope even in the darkest of times, creating an everlasting bond between our two countries,” he said. “These days, there are 100 flights per week to this beautiful island just 40 minutes away that has so much to offer beyond blue skies and picturesque beaches.”

Cyprus is today home to around 20,000 people of Lebanese descent—many of them refugees of Lebanon’s civil war which lasted from 1975 to 1990. But thousands of Israelis also now live on the island as well; the vast majority of them having arrived since Oct. 7. Their numbers have swelled membership at the island’s Larnaca-based Chabad Lubavitch, which now also has congregations in Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos and Ayia Napa.

Speaking on behalf of the Netanyahu government was Miki Zohar, Israel’s minister of culture and sports.

“Despite various challenges over the years, it has succeeded in establishing itself as an essential element of the Mediterranean Basin and Europe. Our countries enjoy an enduring relationship based on mutual respect and appreciation, as well as a long list of bilateral issues,” Zohar said. “Friends are noted for their actions, not just their words—and right now, your support is most significant and appreciated. Cyprus has, without any doubt, proved itself to be a friend of Israel.”