Six MPs from the three parties that hold a majority in parliament launched a cooperation group with the Israel Allies Foundation-Europe at a ceremony in the House on Wednesday. It is the second parliamentary partnership with a foundation linked to Israel in two weeks.
The Democratic Rally (DISY), the Democratic Party (DIKO) and ELAM hold 33 of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives. The same three parties took part in the launch of the Cypriot branch of Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) two weeks ago.
Before the ceremony, MPs and foundation representatives met President Nikos Christodoulides on Wednesday morning. Only DIKO and ELAM were represented at the Presidential Palace, and DISY was absent. The absence comes as DISY has been trying to take an opposition stance towards the government.
The new group is made up of Giorgos Karoullas and Charalambos Petrides of DISY, Sotiris Ioannou and Marios Pelekanos of ELAM, and Andreas Apostolou and Chrysis Pantelides of DIKO, who heads it. DISY vice-president Savia Orphanidou attended the ceremony in parliament.
Speaking on the group’s behalf after the meeting, Pantelides said its aim was to develop parliamentary diplomacy and bring Cyprus and Israel closer as partners and allies. He said it would pursue shared goals in meeting the challenges and dangers facing the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. It would also seek to counter “Turkish expansionism and aggression and terrorism, which unfortunately is also supported by Turkey.”
Josh Reinstein, president of the Israel Allies Foundation, spoke of the government’s contribution as he left the meeting with Christodoulides. “I believe that, under his presidency, our relations have developed at an unprecedented pace,” he said.
Reinstein said many people focused on Cyprus and Israel sharing a common adversary in the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey. However, he said the two countries had far more in common, from economic ties to work on undersea fibre-optic cables and other initiatives under way that benefited both.
Asked about specific plans, he said the foundation would discuss them in the coming weeks and months. The aim would be to deepen regional and European cooperation and then extend it across the foundation’s global network.
At the TFI launch two weeks ago, DIKO leader Nicolas Papadopoulos said he and his colleagues came from different parties and did not agree on everything. However, he said they fully agreed that the steps both the previous and the current government had taken to strengthen ties with the United States and Israel were absolutely right. “It is right for Cyprus, right for the region and right for the Middle East,” he said.
The new US ambassador, John Breslow, and the new Israeli ambassador, Shuli Davidovich, attended Wednesday’s ceremony. So did former president Nicos Anastasiades, Papadopoulos, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas and Greek ambassador Konstantinos Kollias. Former ministers, MPs, representatives of the business community and Cyprus’s Jewish community, and other officials were also present.
