By Oren Anolik, Ambassador of Israel to Cyprus
When I presented my credentials to the President of the Republic of Cyprus in August 2021, he welcomed me with two simple words: “Welcome home.”
Five years later, as I prepare to leave Cyprus and return to Israel, I realise how deeply those words have come to reflect my experience here.
Leaving Cyprus is a bittersweet moment. I am happy to return home to Israel, to my family and to the next chapter of my life. But I am also sad to leave a place that has captured my heart.
My five years on this beautiful island have been among the most fascinating, rewarding and meaningful chapters of my life. Not every moment was easy. There were challenges, difficult days and moments that tested us. But taken as a whole, this experience has been extraordinary. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve my country here, and to have been welcomed into Cypriot life in such a special way.
When I arrived, I did not know a single person in Cyprus. Today, I leave behind hundreds of friends and thousands of acquaintances.
There is hardly a restaurant in Nicosia where I can walk in without recognising at least one person I know. That does not happen to me in Tel Aviv.
This simple fact says something important about Cyprus. It is an island where relationships matter. Where people remember you. Where friendships can grow in the most unexpected places. Over the years, I have had the privilege of meeting people from every walk of life: politicians and civil servants, businesspeople and academics, journalists and artists, members of the Jewish community, and countless ordinary citizens who opened their homes and hearts to me.
These friendships are among the greatest gifts I will take with me.
Of course, my mission here was not only personal. I came to represent Israel and to strengthen the relationship between our two countries. Looking back, I am proud of the progress we have made together.
Despite the challenges, Israel–Cyprus relations continued to grow and develop. Today, there is hardly a major field in which our two countries do not cooperate, both between governments and between our peoples.
Security and defence. Energy. Trade and investment. Tourism. Healthcare. Agriculture. Climate. Water. Emergency response. Science and innovation. These are just some of the areas where Israelis and Cypriots work together.
The list of initiatives, projects and achievements in which I have been involved over the past five years is a long one. It would be impossible to do justice to all of them in a single article. And none of them was the work of one person. They were made possible by the dedication of colleagues, partners and friends in both countries.
What makes this relationship special is not only its breadth. It is also its depth.
Israel and Cyprus are natural partners. We are close neighbours in the Eastern Mediterranean. We share important values, interests and perspectives. We face some common challenges, and we understand the benefits of working together.
But our relationship is about more than strategic interests. It is also about people. About curiosity, respect and a genuine desire to know one another better. About the growing number of Cypriots visiting Israel and Israelis discovering Cyprus. About researchers, entrepreneurs, doctors, farmers and families building connections across the sea.
And sometimes, official visits are also an opportunity to see this people-to-people dimension of our relationship reflected in a very tangible way.
The recent visit of President Isaac Herzog to Cyprus on 10 September brought these thoughts into sharp focus.
As I watched the President of Israel being warmly received by President Nikos Christodoulides, I was reminded once again of the breadth and depth of our relationship. The visit reflected the warmth and closeness between our two countries, as well as our shared interest in the developments taking place in our region and beyond.
This visit was not exceptional. It was merely a powerful reminder that the relationship we have built is larger than any individual ambassador, government or moment in time.
I am particularly proud that, during my tenure, I had the opportunity to contribute to taking Israel–Cyprus relations to new heights. I am grateful to the Cypriot authorities, to my colleagues in the diplomatic corps, and to the many people across the island who made this possible.
Diplomacy is often measured in agreements signed, meetings held and projects launched. These things matter. But diplomacy is also measured in trust. In the ability to pick up the phone. In the willingness to listen, even when we do not agree. In the friendships that survive difficult moments.
That human dimension has been central to my experience in Cyprus.
As I prepare to leave my post and return to Israel, I do so with a profound sense of gratitude. I am grateful for the confidence placed in me by my country. I am grateful to the wonderful team at the Embassy of Israel in Nicosia, whose commitment and hard work made so much possible. And I am grateful to the people of Cyprus, who made this island feel like home.
I leave with wonderful memories, with friendships that I hope will last a lifetime, and with the knowledge that I will never again be able to walk into a Nicosia restaurant without looking around for a familiar face.
I also leave with great optimism for the future of Israel–Cyprus relations.
The foundations are strong. The opportunities are considerable. And the commitment to cooperation exists on both sides.
There will be challenges ahead, as there always are. But I am confident that the friendship between our countries will continue to grow, deepen and flourish.
When I arrived in August 2021, the President welcomed me home.
Five years later, I can say that I truly did feel at home.
Thank you, Cyprus, for five extraordinary years. You will always have a special place in my heart.
And to all my Cypriot friends: this is not goodbye. It is simply see you again soon.
