Cyprus–Israel relations refer to the

bilateral relations Bilateralism is the conduct of political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which is activity by a single state or jointly by multiple states, respectively. When ...

between the

Republic of Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the third lar ...

and the

State of Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. Israel has an embassy in

Nicosia Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia and Lefkoşa, is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capital cities. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capi ...

, while Cyprus has an embassy in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

. Both countries are members of the

Union for the Mediterranean The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM; , ''Al-Ittiḥād min ajl al-Mutawasseṭ'') is an intergovernmental organization of 43 member states from Europe and the Mediterranean Basin: the 27 Member state of the European Union, EU member states (i ...

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) is a post–Cold War, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) institution. The EAPC is a multilateral forum created to improve relations between NATO and non-NATO countries in Europe and Central Asi ...

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; , OCDE) is an international organization, intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and international trade, wor ...

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution funded by 191 member countries, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is regarded as the global lender of las ...

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

, and

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that g ...

. 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

PikiWiki Israel 7792 Cyprus deportation camps

During and immediately after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Cyprus became a transit point for Jewish

Holocaust survivors Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators before and during World War II in Europe and North Africa. There is no universall ...

trying to reach Mandate Palestine. Cyprus was then a British

Crown Colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony governed by Kingdom of England, England, and then Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain or the United Kingdom within the English overseas possessions, English and later British Empire. There was usua ...

. 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 Israelis (; ) are the Israeli citizenship law, citizens and nationals of the Israel, State of Israel. The country's populace is composed primarily of Israeli Jews, Jews and Arab citizens of Israel, Arabs, who respectively account for 75 percen ...

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 Shimon Peres ( ; ; born Szymon Perski, ; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician and statesman who served as the prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the president of Israel from 2007 t ...

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 Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenou ...

in the

Arab–Israeli conflict The Arab–Israeli conflict is a geopolitical phenomenon involving military conflicts and a variety of disputes between Israel and many Arab world, Arab countries. It is largely rooted in the historically supportive stance of the Arab League ...

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 diplomacy, a ' (PNG) is a foreign diplomat that is asked by the host country to be recalled to their home country. If the person is not recalled as requested, the host state may refuse to recognize the person concerned as a member of the diplo ...

in Israel when a delegation she was leading attempted to meet with

Yasser Arafat Yasser Arafat (4 or 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), also popularly known by his Kunya (Arabic), kunya Abu Ammar, was a Palestinian political leader. He was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 to 2004, Presid ...

, 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 Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Christianity in Greece, Greek Christianity, Antiochian Greek Christians, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christian ...

were accused of selling church-owned land in the

West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

to Israeli developers. In 2010, an

exclusive economic zone An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...

(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 Avigdor Lieberman (, ; born 5 June 1958) is a Soviet-born Israeli politician who served as Ministry of Finance (Israel), Minister of Finance between 2021 and 2022, having previously served twice as Deputy Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to ...

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 Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the Geography of Cyprus, island of Cyprus. It is List of states with limited recognition, recognis ...

. The discovery of oil fields in the Mediterranean allowed Turkey Prime Minister

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician who is the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister of Turkey, prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Jus ...

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 A submarine power cable is a transmission cable for carrying electric power below the surface of the water.EuroAsia Interconnector project, would be the longest in the world. The cable is supposed to pass from Israel via Cyprus and

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

, and from there to mainland Europe notably

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and from

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

. 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

(EEZ) of Cyprus, Israel and Lebanon, Cyprus has been offering mediation between

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

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 Limassol, also known as Lemesos, is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the Limassol district. Limassol is the second-largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population of 195,139 and a district population o ...

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 Michel Suleiman ( ; born 21 November 1948) is a Lebanese politician who served as the 12th president of Lebanon from 2008 to 2014. Before becoming president, he served as commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces from 1998 to 2008. After Lebanese A ...

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

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

. Negotiations were held between the Energy and Water Resources Minister of Israel

Silvan Shalom Zion Silvan Shalom (; born 4 August 1958) is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1992 and 2015. He held several prominent ministerial positions, including Deputy leaders of Israel#Vice Prime Minister, Vi ...

, 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 Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...

system employed in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, 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 Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 billion people (20% ...

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 Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

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 Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...

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

characterised Israel as Cyprus' most reliable ally.

Economic relations

The Cypriot media report that the country could receive natural gas from Israel in early 2015, at reduced prices, if discussions on the supply of small quantities are completed by the end of the year, as the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Neoklis Sylikiotis has announced in a press conference about a visit to Israel by a high-ranking Cypriot delegation. The Cypriot government is seeking an interim energy solution until its own natural gas reserves can be developed. Minister Sylikiotis said that Israel is positive in supplying Cyprus a small quantity of natural gas, 0.5-0.7 billion cubic meters, for electricity production. He added that Cyprus would import Israeli gas in the form of

liquefied natural gas Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the volume o ...

(LNG) through contracts between Electricity Authority of Cyprus and Israel Electric Corporation (IEC). Export proposals also include building a pipeline from Israel, Cyprus and finally to

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

or combining the gas from discoveries off Cyprus and Israel at a joint LNG plant as soon as 2018 that will be built in the southern city of Larnaca. Another option suggested by Noble was to build a plant in

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

to ship the fuel to Asia through the Red Sea.

Cyprus-Israel Business Association

With the cooperation of both Cypriot and Israeli government in 2008 Cyprus-Israel Business Association was formed and is held annually in

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

. It headquarters in Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry building and contacts Ministry of Finance of both

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

and

to coordinate an increase in financial bonds of the two countries. In the annual forum of Cyprus-Israel Business Association speakers from key positions from both countries take part. In September 2011 Chief Executive Officer of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Ester Levanon visited Cyprus to present “The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange as a reflection of the Israeli Economy”. Other prominent speakers include Ex-Ministers of Commerce and Trade Praxoulla Antoniadou Kyriacou and Antonis Paschalides, the President and the Secretary-General of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry Manthos Mavrommatis, the President and the General Manager of the Cyprus Stock Exchange George Koufaris, the Ambassador of Israel Michael Harari and the Ambassador of

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

Christakis Papavassiliou. In 2013 Cyprus-Israel Business Association conferences took place in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

and even though the participants of 100 Israeli companies and the 30 Cypriot firms discuss how to increase cooperation in fields ranging “from milk to gas,” the main emphasis was on the Mediterranean natural resource that each of the countries has the potential to export. In May 2013 the President of the Israel-Cyprus Business Association Christakis Papavasilious announced “the new historic era” that Cyprus and Israel are entering together in regards to the economic aspect, and that both countries should rely on each other in order to push forward.

Electricity connection

Electricity connection between Hadera of Israel and Vasilikos in Cyprus is one of the projects that will be funded by the European Union in the framework of the programme Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). According to a press release issued by the European Commission the amount earmarked for the Hadera Israel-Vasilikos Cyprus connection is approximately €1.325m. The project is based on an undersea cable for the connection of the electricity systems of Israel, Cyprus and Greece. Its capacity will be 2000 MW and its length approximately 1518 km. It will include three connections: 329 km between Israel and Cyprus, 879 km between Cyprus and Crete and 310 km between Crete and mainland Greece and will allow electricity transmission to both directions.

Import - Export

Military collaboration

In October 2011 Phileleftheros newspaper published a document detailing a military exercise between Israel and Cyprus, which included mid-air refuelling of fighter jets and quick touchdown landings by Israel Air Force combat helicopters in Cyprus. In 2013 Israel is expecting to receive approval from the Cypriot government to station military jets at the Andreas Papandreou airbase in the city of Paphos, creating the first Israeli military station outside the Israel. It is unknown if the plans include a permanent military presence on the island, with a full-time deployment of airmen. In April 2013 it was reported that Israel was set to send warships to the eastern Mediterranean for a joint military exercise with the Republic of Cyprus. Cypriot Defense Minister Fotis Fotiou confirmed that the joint exercise, which will include the participation of four or five Israeli warships, would start on 25 April. Fotiou also noted that Cyprus will focus on the security of the eastern Mediterranean region and that of gas companies. On 9 April the Minister of Defence, Fotis Fotiou, met at his office with the Ambassador of Israel Michael Harari. In an official statement after the meeting Michael Harari expressed his view that Israel and Cyprus are determined to strengthen and deepen their relations in all areas in favor of their peoples and the region in general. In early May 2013 Israel Defence Minister

Moshe Ya'alon Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon (; born Moshe Smilansky; 24 June 1950) is an Israeli politician and former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, who also served as Israel's Defense Minister under Benjamin Netanyahu from 2013 until his resignation ...

and Cypriot Defence Minister Fotis Fitiou met in

to set the foundations for a coordinated cooperation in energy security issues. On his return to Cyprus, the Cyprus Defense Minister announced that during his meeting in Tel Aviv, they also decided to set up technical committees to promote the issues examined. Moshe Ya'alon referred to the strategic relationship between the two countries and their benefit from the natural-gas field that lies between their shores. He added that Israel intends to improve the preparedness of its navy in the Mediterranean to protect the gas facilities of Israel and Cyprus." On 11 February 2014 between 11am and 1am Israel and Cyprus held a joint military exercise codenamed ‘Onisilos-Gideon’ in Cypriot FIR and the scheduled drill occurred inside the Nicosia flight information region (FIR). Israeli fighter jets carried out flybys over areas south of

featuring 32 F15 and F16 jets and six more support aircraft of the Israeli Air Force, the exercise included simulated firing at targets on land and sea along the southern coast from

to Paphos.

"Onisilos-Gideon" October 2014

On 21 October 2014 Israel and Cyprus held joint military exercise that included aerial maneuvers by Israeli Air Force fighter jets in Cypriot airspace in collaboration with the

Cypriot National Guard The National Guard of Cyprus (), also known as the Greek Cypriot National Guard or simply the National Guard, is the military force of the Republic of Cyprus. It consists of air, land, sea and special forces elements, and is highly integrated wit ...

. Another part of the military drill took place in Cypriot territorial waters off the island of

Memorandum of Understanding

On 21 December 2011 Israeli minister of public security, Avi Dichter, with the Cypriot Minister of Interior Eleni Mavrou, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ensuring the mutual protection and assistance between the two countries in the field of disaster management and civil protection. The MoU provides for collaboration and sharing practices on how to prepare the population for disasters and crises.

Environmental cooperation

A new desalination plant operates in

, launched by the National Water Company Mekorot. The desalination plant has the capacity to produce up to of desalinated potable water daily. At the inauguration of the plant in August 2013, there were present both President of Cyprus

Nicos Anastasiades Nicos Anastasiades ( ; born 27 September 1946) is a Cypriot politician and businessperson, who served as the seventh president of Cyprus from 2013 to 2023. Previously, he was the leader of Democratic Rally between 1997 and 2013 and served as Me ...

and Israeli Minister of Energy and Water Resources Silvan Shalom. Cypriot Minister of Agriculture Nicos Kouyalis and Israel Minister of Energy and Water Resources Silvan Shalom met between 24 and 27 August 2013, during which they discussed issues pertaining to water development, management and protection based on the larger framework of the Memorandum of Understanding. There was high level of discussion at a technocratic level which is targeting at the further reinforcement of the cooperation and the exchange of experiences and knowledge, particularly relating to urban waste water treatment and the use of recycled water in agriculture.

Cyprus fires in June 2016

Cyprus on 18 June asked help from Israel after a fire was raging out of control in Argaka and other forest areas close to Evrychou which had approximately burned seventeen square kilometres of wild vegetation, hay and pine forest and could not be brought under control due to strong winds. Israel immediately sent three airtankers on 19 June, and an additional plane carrying 36 cubic meters of firefighting foam flew to the island on 20 June, per the Cypriot government request. Greece, Britain, Italy and France also sent helicopters and planes to aid in the firefighting efforts. On 20 June Israeli Prime Minister

before the weekly Cabinet meeting announced he was pleased his country was able to extend assistance to Cyprus in order to put out the fire that broke out near Argaka and recalled that in 2010, during the 2010 Mount Carmel forest fire, the first person to contact for assistance was the president of Cyprus Demetris Christofias.

dispatched its only helicopter and plane to assist in the fire-fighting effort. On 28 June Cyprus President

thanked from his bottom of his heart the prime minister of Israel

in their telephone conversation.

Educational collaboration

In June 2016 Cyprus and Israel signed a programme of cooperation in the sectors of culture, education and science, for a period of three years (2016-2019), during an official visit of the Cypriot Minister of Education and Culture Costas Kadis to Israel. Cyprus Minister Costas Kadis visited Israel between 22 and 23 of June, at the invitation of his Israeli counterpart Naftali Bennett. During their meeting both Ministers emphasised the importance of strengthening the cooperation of the two countries in the field of education and especially in higher education. Naftali Benntett accepted the invitation of the Cypriot Minister to visit Cyprus with representatives of Universities and Research Centres of Israel to continue the dialogue and to identify areas of common interest for cooperation in higher education.

Cultural collaboration

With the initiative of Cyprus Ministry of Education a number of exchange programmes have been funded between Israeli and Cypriot students from years 12 to 18. The Israeli Yacht club and Famagusta District Sailing Club organised between 1–4 October 2012 the first "Cyprus-Israel Regatta" during which participants sailed from Larnaca to Tel Aviv. In August 2012 both countries signed a treaty to cooperate in forming a bank that will host the important amount of data which results from the numerous excavations that are conducted in both Israel and Cyprus. On 18 May 2013 Cypriot public was offered the opportunity to experience Israeli culture at the New Theatre Building of THOC in

through an exclusive series of cultural events and artistic happenings. Those who attended experienced some of Israel's best works of art, including theatre, children's puppet show, films and a photograph exhibition.

Diplomacy

;Republic of Cyprus *

(Embassy) ;State of Israel *

(Embassy)

High level visits

Exhibition about Israel by the students of Frederick University Nicosia in Greek and English in Cyprus

References

External links

Israeli embassy in Cyprus official websiteCyprus Tel Aviv embassyCyprus-Israel Business AssociationCivil Marriages of Israelis in CyprusIsraeli paper on "national interest" on Cyprus Israel relations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Israel-Cyprus Relations

Bilateral relations of Cyprus