A Strategic Friendship: Israeli Perceptions of the Israel-Cyprus Relationship

The document analyzes the deepening strategic, economic, and military ties between Israel and the Republic of Cyprus, emphasizing the role of the trilateral Israel-Cyprus-Greece framework. It finds that while Israeli elites view Cyprus as a loyal ally and a bridge to the European Union, there is a significant lack of awareness regarding the relationship's depth among the broader Israeli public and some lawmakers.

• Israeli elites perceive the Republic of Cyprus as a vital strategic partner and a 'bridge to Europe,' viewing it as one of the few EU member states reliably sensitive to Israeli interests and capable of acting as a moderating voice in Israel-EU diplomatic disagreements.
• Energy cooperation is a central pillar of the relationship, with Israel viewing Cyprus as a primary partner for exploiting offshore natural gas and exporting it to European markets through projects like the EastMed pipeline and the EuroAsia Interconnector.
• Israel increasingly views Cyprus as a military ally and a strategic hinterland, utilizing the island for operational bases, joint air defense and naval exercises, and the purchase of Israeli military technology such as drones and land surveillance systems.
• There is a growing effort by Israel to secure Cypriot cooperation in countering Iranian influence and aggression in the Mediterranean, including monitoring the transport of munitions to proxies via Syria.
• Israeli leaders argue that the relationship is grounded in shared democratic values and pluralism, which they believe creates a more resilient bond than those with non-democratic regional partners.
• Despite the strategic consensus among top foreign policy elites, there is a notable gap in understanding among the general Israeli public and some politicians regarding the importance and nature of the partnership.

APA

BRANDER, Y. (2022). A Strategic Friendship: Israeli Perceptions of the Israel-Cyprus Relationship. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/62e5e236-d28e-479e-aec5-f9fae92a4259/5OP 22 A Strategic Friendship.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

BRANDER, YONATAN. A Strategic Friendship: Israeli Perceptions of the Israel-Cyprus Relationship. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2022. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/62e5e236-d28e-479e-aec5-f9fae92a4259/5OP 22 A Strategic Friendship.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=BRANDER |first1=YONATAN |title=A Strategic Friendship: Israeli Perceptions of the Israel-Cyprus Relationship |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2022 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/62e5e236-d28e-479e-aec5-f9fae92a4259/5OP 22 A Strategic Friendship.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brander2022strategic, author = {BRANDER, YONATAN}, title = {{A Strategic Friendship: Israeli Perceptions of the Israel-Cyprus Relationship}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2022}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/62e5e236-d28e-479e-aec5-f9fae92a4259/5OP 22 A Strategic Friendship.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }