How close is too close? Cyprus and Israel’s growing alliance

in-cyprus eugazaIsraelsanctionswest bank How close is too close? Cyprus and Israel’s growing alliance Global Sumud Flotilla Gathers In Sicily Ahead Of Gaza Departure Relevant News How close is too close? Cyprus and Israel’s growing alliance 11 September 2026 Elderly pedestrian dies after being hit by reversing car in Anthoupoli 11 September 2026 Woman hospitalised in ICU in 2023 after plasmapheresis at unlicensed centre, doctor alleges 11 September 2026 Theodosis Pipis 11 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Christodoulides has repeatedly met Israeli President Isaac Herzog, including Herzog’s visit to Cyprus in 2025, and has invited him back to the island this week. Pressure on Israel over settlement expansion and violence against Palestinians has grown in recent years. In 2024, the US, UK and EU imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers and organisations accused of violence, while several European countries have since moved to restrict trade linked to Israeli settlements. The measures reflect growing concern that settlement expansion is undermining the possibility of a Palestinian state. At the same time, Israel’s relations with some European governments have deteriorated, particularly after Spain, Ireland and Norway recognised a Palestinian state in 2024, prompting Israel to recall its ambassadors from the three countries. Israel has also responded aggressively to the UK’s recent decision to block imports from the West Bank settlements, announcing plans to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem and take other measures against British officials. That raises an obvious question: why is Cyprus choosing to deepen its relationship with Israel at precisely the moment when some of its European partners are putting more pressure on the Israeli government? The answer goes beyond the question of the West Bank. For Nicosia, Israel is an increasingly important regional partner, politically, strategically and in energy and security. But that relationship also puts Cyprus in a delicate position, as it tries to remain close to Israel while navigating growing divisions within the EU over how governments should respond to Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians in the West Bank, the aggressive expansionism in Lebanon and Syria and the Gaza genocide. A flourishing relationship under the Christodoulides Presidency At their meeting in Nicosia on Thursday, President Nikos Christodoulides and Israeli President Isaac Herzog presented the relationship between Cyprus and Israel as one that is becoming deeper, not weaker, despite the growing international pressure on Israel over the war in Gaza and its policies in the West Bank. The two presidents discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and the wider security situation in the region, with the meeting coming as Cyprus continues to position itself as a regional partner and intermediary. Herzog’s visit was part of a broader pattern of increasingly frequent high-level contact between the two countries, with both sides emphasising the strategic importance of their relationship. That relationship has accelerated since 2024, when the war in Gaza put Israel’s ties with much of Europe under growing strain. Cyprus, however, has moved in the opposite direction, maintaining close political, security and energy cooperation with Israel. The two countries have continued high-level exchanges, while their strategic partnership has also been tied to regional security, energy and defence cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean. Christodoulides visited Israel in December 2025, while Herzog has continued to engage directly with the Cypriot president, describing the two countries as natural partners. The result is a relationship that now extends well beyond traditional diplomatic ties and one that Cyprus appears determined to protect even as some other European governments have taken a harder line towards Israel. Public opposition The Cypriot government’s close relationship with Israel does not reflect public sentiment on the island. Since the war in Gaza began, Cyprus has seen repeated pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including large rallies in Nicosia and protests outside the British military base at Akrotiri. That public pressure has continued alongside Cyprus’s close official ties with Israel. Pro-Palestinian groups, left-wing parties and civil society organisations have repeatedly called for a ceasefire and stronger action against Israel, while demonstrations have brought thousands onto the streets since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza. The contrast is increasingly difficult to ignore: while Nicosia has strengthened its strategic relationship with Israel, a visible part of Cypriot civil society has been demanding a much tougher position on the war and greater support for the Palestinians. Similarly, public anger over the humanitarian situation in Gaza has translated into increasingly large demonstrations across European capitals, while governments that were once reluctant to confront Israel have begun changing their positions. The pressure has now moved beyond the streets and into European policy. The EU has condemned the growing violence by Israeli settlers and adopted restrictive measures against individuals and organisations involved in it, while several member states have pushed for stronger economic and diplomatic measures against Israel. Britain, France and Canada have gone further by restricting imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a move that prompted Israel to retaliate against Britain diplomatically. Against this backdrop, Cyprus’s decision to maintain and deepen its relationship with Israel stands out, not because it is necessarily alone in Europe in supporting Israel, but because the gap between its government’s approach and the increasingly critical mood elsewhere in the EU is becoming harder to overlook. The question for Cyprus For Cyprus, the question is no longer simply whether it should maintain relations with Israel, but how close those relations should become while Israel’s aggression in Gaza and the West Bank are drawing increasingly serious condemnation from its European partners. Israel’s continued settlement expansion, rising settler violence and moves towards what European governments describe as de facto annexation are putting its traditional allies under growing pressure to act. In May, the EU itself imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers and organisations over serious human-rights abuses against Palestinians, while several European governments have now moved further, announcing bans on products from Israeli settlements. That leaves Cyprus in an increasingly uncomfortable position. Nicosia can argue that its relationship with Israel serves clear strategic interests, security, energy and its position in the Eastern Mediterranean, but closer political alignment also risks making Cyprus appear increasingly comfortable with policies that much of Europe is trying to confront. The concern is not simply diplomatic optics. If Israel continues expanding settlements, tolerating or failing to prevent settler violence and pursuing policies that undermine any viable Palestinian state, Cyprus may eventually face a harder choice between its bilateral partnership with Israel and the common foreign-policy positions of its EU partners. The danger for Nicosia is that by continually deepening the relationship, it could find itself defending an increasingly indefensible Israeli state at a time when European patience is wearing thin. The EU itself remains divided over how far to go, but that division is precisely what makes Cyprus’s position more politically consequential: That of Israel’s closest friends inside the bloc. Read more: Herzog hopes for Cyprus-Lebanon-Israel leaders’ meeting as talks cover energy and defence Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Elderly pedestrian dies after being hit by reversing car in Anthoupoli Woman hospitalised in ICU in 2023 after plasmapheresis at unlicensed centre, doctor alleges Bomb threat empties Larnaca Airport flight, plane cleared to depart after checks Serious crash on Paphos-Empa “trap road” leaves woman hospitalised Cyprus employment rate 5.9 points above EU average, Eurostat says Defence argues Zavrantonas has no case to answer in cocaine trial Overnight pharmacies on Friday, September 11 Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.