By Isidoros Sakkas
- Parliamentary Assistant at the European Parliament
Supporters of a strategic partnership with Israel put forward two main arguments for deepening Cyprus-Israel relations: The security of the Republic of Cyprus vis-à-vis Turkey and the lifting of Cyprus’s energy isolation. The problem lies in the fact that cooperation with Israel is no longer limited to ending Cyprus’s energy isolation. On the contrary, it is evolving into the geopolitical exploitation of Cyprus for the State of Israel’s new policy of permanent destabilization in the region. And as the chances of the Interconnector project coming to fruition fade away (reminiscent—unfortunately—the natural gas saga), the closer Greece and Cyprus slip toward the eye of the storm of a military conflict between Turkey and Israel (or even Greece and Israel?)
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
This policy of destabilization and perpetual war is now being articulated by the most official Israeli sources. Tamir Heiman (a retired Israeli major general and head of one of Israel’s most important institutes for strategic studies) describes in the country’s new national security doctrine that war is now considered a fundamental condition of the state and “cannot be replaced by a state of peace, which (…) is merely a means and not an end in itself. War is necessary, while preemptive war is preferable, as it offers a significant advantage from the very outset” (translation from an article by Mr. Dimitris Konstantinopoulos on his website, dated October 16, 2026) At the same time, a former Israeli intelligence colonel is calling on Greece to prepare for “war with Turkey” (October 31, 2026). In Cyprus, he appears in the media as a lobbyist (based in Cyprus) and promises Israel’s full defense of Cyprus (interview with Sai Gal, October 6, 2026).
In Cyprus, in addition to the parliamentary friendship groups featuring politicians from the Cypriot Parliament and the European Parliament, and beyond the Israeli think tanks that are gradually establishing themselves in Cyprus, Israel is holding the country’s energy and vital resources (water) hostage. In this way, it incorporates Cyprus into its own plans, since it can pressure the Cypriot political elite in whatever direction it wishes.
It is common knowledge that the Cyprus problem cannot be solved through war, but also that the best security we can have is the resolution of the Cyprus problem. We do not need Israel to protect us with missiles. Instead, we need to engage in talks that yield results and seek cooperation with all our neighboring countries.
But the Cypriot president’s eagerness for talks and his push on the Cyprus issue is reminiscent of the joke about the athlete who “burned out” during warm-ups. Perhaps he believes he can “play with the big boys” if he aligns himself with the West. A West that is entering an unprecedented economic and political crisis, led by Israel and the U.S. Neither the Cypriot president nor the political elite clinging to the West within this historical context are serving the interests of the Cypriot people. On the contrary, they are selling off what little sovereignty remains to the Republic of Cyprus, but more importantly: they are endangering the very survival of the island’s inhabitants. According to CNA (November 3, 2026), Cyprus is among Iran’s retaliatory targets. What will the Friends of Israel group do if Iran decides to strike Israeli aircraft at Cypriot airports or British bases? Iran’s medium-range missiles can reach Cyprus, and the West’s anti-missile defense capabilities are steadily diminishing. Will the president come out again and say, “But what about us?”
