Israel, Cyprus: a relationship neither wants

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has been in Cyprus today for talks on energy, security, trade and so on with President Christofias. It was the first ever visit to Cyprus by an Israeli PM; which was something Netanyahu commented on, saying that even though it only takes 45 minutes to get from Tel Aviv to Larnaca, it’s taken 63 years for an Israeli prime minister to visit Cyprus.

The fact that this is the first visit to Cyprus by an Israeli prime minister indicates how poor relations between the two countries have been down the years, with the Israelis allied to Turkey and Cyprus close to the Palestinians and the other Arab nations; and how rickety this new relationship is. Indeed, it is a relationship neither country really wants. The Israelis would much prefer things were still the same for them with the Turks and the Cypriots find it hard to accept that they now have to overlook the fact that Israel’s violent usurpation of Palestinian lands reminds them of the Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus, an invasion and occupation Israel had always found it convenient to support, in one way or another.