Cyprus–Israel relations refer to the bilateral relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the State of Israel. Israel has an embassy in Nicosia, while Cyprus has an embassy in Tel Aviv. Both countries are members of the Union for the Mediterranean, United Nations, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.
Cyprus and Israel have extensive collaboration on military, cultural, and political matters. The prospect of a joint use of oil and gas fields off Cyprus, as well as EuroAsia Interconnector, now the world's longest subsea electric power cable have also brought the two countries closer together.
History
During and immediately after World War II, Cyprus became a transit point for Jewish Holocaust survivors trying to reach Mandate Palestine. Cyprus was then a British Crown Colony. From 1946 to 1949, an estimated 53,000 Jews were detained by the British in camps on Cyprus.
Today, relations between Cyprus and Israel are strong. Many Cypriots and Israelis refer to them as Cypriot-Israeli brotherhood. In September 2013, the leader of Democratic Rally Averof Neofytou called for supporting Israel as Cyprus's most reliable partner. Israeli President Shimon Peres called Cyprus Israel's most predictable neighbour.
Bilateral relations In the 1980s and 1990s, Cyprus expressed concern over Israel's then close defense relationship with Turkey. Cyprus outwardly backed the Palestinians in the Arab–Israeli conflict and officially recognizes Palestine as a de facto state. Cypriot first lady Androulla Vassiliou, wife of President George Vasiliou, was declared persona non grata in Israel when a delegation she was leading attempted to meet with Yasser Arafat, who was then under house arrest.
Relations began to improve in 1993. A number of bilateral agreements were signed and many official visits have taken place including the official State visit by the President of Israel and a reciprocate visit by the President of Cyprus.
In the early 2000s, members of the Cypriot branch of the Greek Orthodox Church were accused of selling church-owned land in the West Bank to Israeli developers.
In 2010, an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) was set within the territorial waters between Israel and Cyprus at the maritime halfway point, a clarification essential for safeguarding Israel's rights to oil and underwater gas reservoirs. The agreement was signed in Nicosia by Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau and the Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou. The two countries agreed to cooperate in the development of any cross border resources discovered, and to negotiate an agreement on dividing joint resources.
In February 2012, Netanyahu visited Cyprus, the first visit of an Israeli Prime Minister in history, and the two countries signed a search and rescue agreement. Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman visited Cyprus at the invitation of his Cypriot counterpart when Netanyahu was in Washington, and Lieberman has met with Cyprus foreign minister Kyprianou several times.
Energy and natural gas
Israeli energy firm Delek Group is seeking to work with Cyprus on natural gas exploration and extraction near the Leviathan gas field off the Israeli coast where Delek is already active. The large oil and gas field, and the opportunities of joint use, have brought the two countries closer together. This however has opened a new source of frictions between both countries and Turkey. Noble Energy, a US company, is also involved in the Leviathan field and this may lead to US government involvement in the gas fields dispute.
Turkey claimed that the Greek-Cypriot government in the southern part of the island did not have the authority to sign deals with Israel which could be detrimental to the Turkish-Cypriot population in Northern Cyprus. The discovery of oil fields in the Mediterranean allowed Turkey Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to continue his diplomatic confrontation on two fronts: one with Israel, and one with Cyprus.
Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias visited Israel in March 2011 for the first-ever official visit by a Cypriot head of state. Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Antonis Paschalides noted however that, despite all the enthusiasm, Cyprus could not ignore Israeli tourism and real estate projects in the island's north, which was under disputed Turkish control.
According to Turkish media reports in September 2011, Israel Air Force fighter planes flew through the airspace of both Cyprus and Northern Cyprus after taking off to face a Turkish seismic research ship in the Eastern Mediterranean. The reports added that Turkey responded by launching two fighters to track the Israeli planes, at which point the Israeli fighter jets returned to Israeli airspace. The Turkish research vessel was seen as a Turkish provocation in the dispute over gas fields. The operation of Israeli planes in Cyprus airspace was interpreted as a further sign of close Israel-Cyprus ties.
ΔΕΗ-Quantum Energy, a Cyprus-based group including Greece's state-controlled power utility Public Power Corporation of Greece (PPC, also known as DEH) is planning to lay the world's longest submarine power cable, linking Israel, Cyprus and Greece. The link, called the EuroAsia Interconnector project, would be the longest in the world. The cable is supposed to pass from Israel via Cyprus and Crete, and from there to mainland Europe notably Italy and Switzerland and from Bulgaria to Serbia.
During his visit in Israel in April 2013 Foreign Minister of Cyprus has expressed his enthusiasm that as Cyprus has financial and economic problems, the energy cooperation agreement between Cyprus and Israel is a bright spot in that will boost hopes for a quick recovery by 2014.
In March 2021, Cyprus said that it had reached an agreement with Israel concerning the gas reserves in their maritime border. The Israeli side said that the two countries have set a framework that might solve the issue.
In May 2023, Cyprus and Israel were working on a deal to create a natural gas pipeline between the two countries, whereas Israeli natural gas would be liquified and exported to Europe. The American energy company Chevron is reportedly interested in the potential pipeline, which would be 320-kilometer (200-mile) in length and estimated to cost 450 million euros ($489 million), while the liquefaction plant would cost 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion). The pipeline would take about two and a half years to build.
Cypriot mediation between Israel and Lebanon Since the establishment of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Cyprus, Israel and Lebanon, Cyprus has been offering mediation between Lebanon and Israel over their maritime border dispute which was delaying gas and oil exploration of the two countries. General Director of the Department of Energy in Cyprus Solonas Kasinis announced in 2010 from Limassol that Cyprus does anything possible to strengthen cooperation between the three countries not only on the issue of the division of gas and oil reserves but also on military and strategic matters. In an effort to further settle the unstable situation between Israel and Lebanon, Chair President of Cypriot Parliament Yiannakis Omirou visited Lebanese President Michel Suleiman in Beirut to find solution to the disputes.
Tripartite energy memorandum On August 8, 2013, Greece, Israel and Cyprus signed the tripartite energy memorandum of understanding after the completion of one year negotiation in Nicosia. Negotiations were held between the Energy and Water Resources Minister of Israel Silvan Shalom, the Cypriot minister of agriculture, natural resources and environment Nicos Kouyialis and the Cypriot minister of environment, energy and climate change George Lakkotrypis. The 2,000-mega-watt EuroAsia Interconnector is planned to lift Cyprus and Israel out of energy isolation through cheaper electricity as supported by George Lakkotrypis. Silvan Shalom announced that the agreement is "historic" and that it demonstrated the powerful relations between the three countries adding that electricity will be exported to the European energy market via cable. The Greek Prime Minister at the time Antonis Samaras proclaimed on 8 August that Israel has a special role to play in supplying Europe with energy resources and supported that it can become a key energy hub.
Civil marriage Israeli matrimonial law is still based on the Millet system employed in the Ottoman Empire, which was not modified during the British Mandate and remains in force. Marriages in each religious community are under the jurisdiction of its own religious authority. Israeli couples who for any reason are unable or unwilling to contract a religious marriage often opt to get married in neighboring Cyprus, given that civil, interfaith and same-sex marriages entered into abroad are recognised by the Israeli state. Republic of Cyprus is ranked as the first or second destination for Israeli civil wedding, alongside Prague.
State visits to Cyprus Israel and Cyprus agreed on the middle of February 2011 to launch a joint natural gas and oil exploration venture in their adjoining territorial waters. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Cypriot President Demetris Christofias inked the deal during Netanyahu's visit to Nicosia, which was the first by an Israeli leader ever. The deal will also allow Israel to use Cyprus' air space and territorial waters for aerial and naval search and rescue drills. The Prime Minister's Office said that the deal was part of the two nations' efforts to "strengthen the improving ties between the two nations, as well as boost energy security in both countries." Netanyahu traveled to Cyprus with a mission of 20 high-level government officials, including Energy and Water Minister Uzi Landau and the directors of Israel's National Security and National Economic councils.
In April 2012 Foreign Minister made a three-day visit to Nicosia to discuss the gas-sharing agreement to exploit reserves that fall on the maritime boundary between the two countries. Lieberman later discussed the prospects of further expansion of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of energy, tourism and investment with Commerce and Industry Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis. Lieberman said relations between the two countries are probably at their best stage since the establishment of Cyprus and Israel.
On 2 September 2013 President of the Cypriot House of Representatives Yiannakis Omirou and the Knesset Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein signed a protocol of cooperation between their countries' Parliaments. After the signing of the protocol Yiannakis Omirou expressed his enthusiasm for the setting up of a Cyprus-Israeli Friendship Group in the respective parliaments. Edelstein announced that the signing of the memorandum is a testament to the joint efforts and close cooperation between the two countries and will increase connection in the years to come. On 2 September 2013 the president of Democratic Rally, Averof Neophytou in a press conference in Nicosia characterised Israel as Cyprus' most reliable ally.
Economic relations