On Tuesday evening,17 September at the Hilton, Tel Aviv, the ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus, H.E. Mr. Kornelios S. Korneliou hosted a reception in honour of his country's 64th anniversary of independence. Cyprus gained independence from British rulein 1960, based on a treaty banning a union with Greece or Turkey. The Treaty of Zurich and London established Cyprus as an Independent republic.
The official ceremony started by a short welcoming speech by the Master of Ceremonies, Mrs. Ilana Arar, the ambassador's P.A.
Her speech was followed by a video message from the President of the State of Israel, H.E. Mr. Issac Herzog expressing his warm wishes to the President of Cyprus on their 64th anniversary of independence. He stated that Cyprus is Israel's closest friend and neighbour and that the two countries enjoy close collaboration especially in the fields of innovation and tourism with multitudes of Israelis visiting Cyprus annually and concluding that Israel and Cyprus are shining examples of Mediterranean cooperation.
The ambassador of Cyprus, H.E. Mr Kornelios S. Korneliou opened his speech by warmly welcoming the guest of honour representing the State of Israel, H.E. Mr Makhlouf "Miki" Zohar, Minister of Culture and Sport, distinguished ambassadors, honourable members of the Knesset, the Greek Patriarch, His Beatitude Theofilis The Third, Rabbi Itzhak Shapira, all guests and friends. The reception that was scheduled for last year in October, was cancelled as a result of the shocking events of 7th October and thus it was decided to hold the reception this year as a testament of our resilience and as a sign of hope - demonstrating our determination to a return to a normal life. Cyprus, being "paradise on earth", is at the crossroads of three continents and throughout its history has been an "object of desire" for empires and conquerors because of its strategic position. He dolefully spoke of Turkey's illegal invasion in 1974 when the latter occupied 36% of the island and still continues the status quo till the present causing misery and trauma to the country and its inhabitants through displacements. Thousands of Greek and Marionite Cypriots were killed and have gone missing without accountability. Since 2004 Cyprus has become a well respected member of the European Union having a robust economy and vibrant democracy.
After the 7th of October's catastrophic attack, from day one Cyprus extended its solidarity to Israel supporting the release of all hostages and emphasized Israel's right to self - defence in line with international law. The Cypriot President was among the first leaders to visit Israel and express his country's support and solidarity, standing with Israel as friends do in difficult times. Cyprus also contributes towards efforts in addressing the humanitarian situation in Gaza by establishing a maritime corridor from Larnaca for the transfer of humanitarian aid.
Between 1946 - 1949 more than 53 000 Jewish refugees from Europe were based in Cyprus which served as a transit point in their journey en route to Palestine. During that period, 2253 children were born on the island to Holocaust survivors creating an everlasting bond between Israel and Cyprus. Some of these children born in Cyprus were present at the reception. Bilateral relations between Cyprus and Israel have manifested themselves in the fields of emergency response, tourism, energy, healthcare, investments, technology and innovation.There is also a vibrant Israeli community living in Cyprus which is a growing community. "Since my arrival in July 2023 I immediately felt the warmth of the people here when mentioning Kafrisin". The ambassador concluded his speech by thanking everyone present and for participating in the celebratory reception commemorating Cyprus' 64 years of independence.
The guest of honour, H.E. Mr. Makhlouf "Miki" Zohar, Minister of Culture and Sport, representing the 37th government of the State of Israel stated that the sea passage between Israel and Cyprus is a good example of shared close cooperation. "The Great Sea Interconnector" project in which Cyprus, Greece and Israel have partnered in developing a shared source of energy which will be of benefit to the three countries participating. After the "7th October tragedy" that befell Israel, Cyprus proved to be a friend judged not only by words but by actions in its condemnation of Hamas for its unspeakable atrocities while supporting Israel's right to self - defence and protection of its civilian population, including the call for the unconditional release of all hostages.
Among the distinguished guests were Mr. Gil Haskel, Chief of State Protocol at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Dr. Ron Tomer, president of the Manufacturers’ Association of Israel (MAI); M.K. Eti Atiya, president of the Israel-Cyprus Friendship Association ; Mrs.Louisa Varaclas, Director - Israel - Deputy Ministry of Tourism of Cyprus; Mr. Sofronis Papageorgiu, Business Consul of Cyprus Embassy ;Flying Carpet CEO Eyal Kashdan; Mrs. Brenda Katten, a former chairperson of WIZO, Prof. Dr. Louis Shenkman, a specialist in internal medicine,endocrinology and metabolism and a former dean of medicine at the University of Tel Aviv's School of Medicine, Dr. Amit Mor, CEO of Eco Energy and a lecturer at Reichman University.
There was a photographic exhibition commemorating the 50th year of Turkey's invasion and annexation of the northern part of the island comprising the capture of more than a third of Cyprus and the displacement of 40% of its population.
In addition to the above exhibition, there was also another including posters prepared by the Press and Information Office of the Republic of Cyprus entitled "The Maritime Tradition of Cyprus". Trade with neighbouring countries and the exchange of products (mainly copper) played an important role in the prosperity of the inhabitants throughout the country's history, forcing Cypriots to deal with the sea.
The ballroom stage was set with decoration of flag colours flowers
www.diplomacy.co.il wishes the government of Cyprus heartfelt congratulations on celebrating of 64 years of independence.
Photo credit Silvia Golan
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