Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday called on Cyprus to utilise its excellent relations with both Israel and Palestine to play a mediating role in support of peace efforts once an Israeli government is formed.
On an official visit to Nicosia, Abbas met with President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace for talks and then held a working lunch with their respective delegations.
The nonagenarian, speaking through an interpreter, noted Cyprus’ early recognition of the state of Palestine in 1988, and expressed his “sincere thanks to the Republic of Cyprus for its humanitarian and political support for the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause”.
He added: “With our visit here, we feel as though we are at home. This is because the Palestinian people feel not only a geographical closeness to the Cypriot people, but also warmth and a deep human bond with the Cypriot people.”
Regional security
The Palestinian president expressed concern about regional security, noting that “we are also concerned about security for Israelis”.
“We do not want military confrontations and conflicts,” Abbas said, adding that he wanted the Palestinian issue to be resolved “on the basis of Security Council resolutions and international legitimacy, for the benefit of the entire region”.
The Palestinian president – who for two years running has been denied a visa by the United States to attend the UN General Assembly – said he was not ashamed to state clearly: “We support peaceful popular resistance that expresses the Palestinian people’s protest whenever the rights of the Palestinian people are violated.”
Abbas noted the “immense suffering” endured by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Ready for peace with Israel
“For many years we have extended our hands to the Israeli side in order to achieve a settlement and establish peace, not only between the Palestinian and Israeli peoples, not only between Palestine and Israel, but also between Israel and its neighbouring Arab countries, for the benefit of the entire region and the world,” he said.
Referring to Tuesday’s elections in Israel, the Palestinian leader said he was waiting to see how the political landscape will be shaped as a result.
“Once the government is formed, we are ready to discuss the issue of peace with them,” he said.
Cyprus’ potential role
Addressing his Cypriot counterpart, he added: “And when that takes place, it will be your role to support this effort, given your good intentions and the fact that you are both a neighbouring country and a friendly neighbouring people, by playing a role so that these peace talks may achieve the desired positive results.”
For his part, Christodoulides welcomed Abbas, noting he has visited Palestine twice in the last three years. He hailed the excellent bilateral relations enjoyed between the two countries, reiterating Cyprus’ support for resolution of the Palestinian issue based on the agreed framework of UN resolutions.
The president highlighted the importance attached to creating conditions of security and stability in the region. He offered Cyprus’ support to undertake any role that will help achieve their common objectives and advance cooperation in the region.
Christodoulides also referred to the humanitarian assistance Cyprus provides to Palestine, as well as Palestinian engagement with the CYCLOPS centre in Larnaca and the Aerial Firefighting Station in Paphos.
Europe shifting position on Palestinian issue
During the working lunch, the president noted Cyprus’ role within the European Union, as a country that can convey to Europe the concerns of other states in its region.
In reply, Abbas pointed to the significant developments in Europe, with Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands expressing positions on the Palestinian issue almost identical to those of Palestine.
The visiting president noted that Europe can play an important role in achieving a settlement and establishing peace in the region.
Cyprus-Israel relations
Addressing Christodoulides, Abbas said Cyprus can also play a very important role. Noting the excellent bilateral and people-to-people relations between Cyprus and Palestine, he said: “You also maintain, rightly so, excellent relations with Israel."
“Therefore, you can play a mediating role between the two sides, on the basis of a political solution grounded in international legitimacy and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council," he added.
Challenging conditions
Abbas, who turns 91 in November, comes to Cyprus at a time of heightened tensions in the region. Palestinians in the West Bank face repeated Israeli settler violence and settlement expansion, driving a wedge through prospects for a two-state solution. Much of Gaza lies in rubble, with the 20-point peace plan for the Strip not progressing. Following the US-Israeli attack on Iran, Tehran’s response against US allies in the neighbourhood, and heightened conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, the region remains on tenterhooks. Mid-term elections are due in the US and somehow, their conclusion is also expected to have an impact on conflict in the region.
Meanwhile, the 2020 Abraham Accords – establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco – took the wind out of the sails of the Arab Peace Initiative, which offered normalisation of relations with Israel in exchange for Palestinian statehood.
Abbas himself has come under criticism for not holding national elections in two decades. After promising in the summer to hold elections this November, he recently pushed back the election date to September 2027, citing security concerns and “obstacles posed by Israeli measures”. Despite the challenges faced, the question of legitimacy will continue to linger without elections.
Cyprus-Palestine relations
According to government sources, two takeaways from the meeting with Abbas are: first, he expressed appreciation for Cyprus’ contribution to humanitarian efforts; and second, he said Cyprus rightly had excellent relations with Israel, noting its potential usefulness.
Regarding any possible role Cyprus could play in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one source noted Nicosia was willing to engage, test waters, and do its bit, if asked. However, conditions are by no means ripe.
A government has not been formed in Israel, and it is not clear what kind of government it will be, or whether the country will need to hold a new round of elections. Then there is the question of what proposal the Palestinian side has in mind, and what else happens in the region in the intervening period.
