The President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, met with the Israeli Ambassador to Cyprus, Oren Anolik, on Monday. The House President expressed sympathy and deep concern over the events that unfolded following Hamas’ attack on Israel while the Israeli Ambassador stressed that his country appreciates Cyprus’ support saying that Cyprus is a strategic partner.
“What we have witnessed in the past hours and days is nothing else than a tragedy, a horror, a barbarity against innocent people, against civilians, against women and girls,” Demetriou said before the meeting.
She described Hamas’ attack as an attack on peace and called for the international community to condemn it and support Israel in these trying times.
“The message must be clear and collective: zero tolerance for terrorism,” she said.
Demetriou stressed that no ideological, religious, political, or other differences should stand in the way of addressing the ongoing crisis.
“Our response and support must be comprehensive and united,” she added.
She noted that the House of Representatives was already preparing a resolution of condemnation to be presented in its plenary session on Thursday, and they would take all necessary actions to support Israel and its people in the face of this attack on peace.
Ambassador Oren Anolik thanked President Demetriou for her visit to the Israeli Embassy in Nicosia. He expressed his appreciation for the support Cyprus has extended to Israel during these challenging days, describing it as ‘a beacon of light in these dark times’.
Anolik acknowledged that the images and events in Israel have been shocking, and he emphasized the importance of the support they have received from Cyprus. He noted that Israel, despite being attacked and surprised, remains a strong nation determined to fight back against what he described as a war against peace and human rights waged by Hamas.
Regarding Cyprus’s offer to help facilitate the situation, Ambassador Anolik expressed gratitude and stated that while they currently have no specific requests, they appreciate the offer and consider Cyprus a strategic partner.
‘We are appreciative of this and we have no doubt that in case we need something, we will come to Cyprus as our strategic partner’, he said.
Asked about Israelis seeking refuge in Cyprus, Anolik said that many Israelis were making their way back into Israel to try to help in this very bad situation. He acknowledged that some individuals have personal reasons for wanting to leave Israel in such circumstances, but said that their priority at the moment was to focus on what can be done to help Israel win the ongoing conflict.
Source: Cyprus News Agency