President Christodoulides will visit Israel on 4 May.
As previously reported, the visit represents the final preparatory step for the Cyprus-Greece-Israel trilateral summit scheduled for May. While the visit is being characterised as exceptionally important, we find ourselves unable to accept this.
We cannot accept that the President of the Turkish-occupied Republic of Cyprus feels he can meet with Benjamin Netanyahu, who bears responsibility for ongoing war crimes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
There were other ways to prepare for the Trilateral summit, which would be better not held during this period. This is a time when Netanyahu and his government continue carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people, who have suffered nearly 50,000 deaths since October 2023.
It seems inconceivable that no one in this government is considering what message President Christodoulides’ visit to Israel sends, when we ourselves are trying to bring attention to the war crimes committed by Turkey.
Is now the appropriate time, Mr President, in the midst of a genocide?
Now, as children’s bodies accumulate in Gaza, Jenin, and Nablus? Now, against the backdrop of continued settlement expansion in Jerusalem and its surroundings?
Not in our name.
ΑΛ.ΜΙΧ.
