Your excellency, Mr Phokaides,Distinguished guests,
Honorable Mayors,
Honorable colleagues from the diplomatic corps,
Dear Friends of Israel,
It is indeed wonderful to see you all tonight, honoring Israel’s 68 years of independence.
To me, celebrating Israel’s 68th Independence Day marks the fulfillment of the Jewish nation’s old dream: the return to our historic homeland, the land of Israel. It marks the rebirth of our national state into a vibrant democracy, a beacon of Science and Arts, Creativity and Innovation in the midst of a challenging environment.
The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, proclaimed on 14th May 1948, served as Israel’s anchor to the principles of justice and peace, as well as to the achievement of equality in social and political rights for all its citizens, irrespective of religion, race or gender. It safeguards freedom of religion, of conscience, of language, education and culture and enshrines respect for progressive democratic and Jewish values.
To me, Israel is a home, a family, a street where people, of different origins and languages, mingle together in one united social fabric.
To me, Israel is the light colors of the Judea desert, the blue colors of the Mediterranean Sea and the different shades of green over the Carmel Mountains.
It is the beauty of the Arab villages of the Galilee, the impressive Basilica in Nazareth. It is the unique resonance of the bell tolls of the churches, intertwined with the voice of the Muezzin from the Mosque, and the prayers of the Jewish worshipers by the western wall in the old city of Jerusalem. Israel is the sole place in the whole of the Middle East where all religions enjoy the freedom to pray. Indeed, a miraculous place in a troubled region.
To me, Israel is the beating heart of culture in Tel-Aviv, it is the 9 Nobel Prize Laureates for Literature, Science and Peace.
Israel, for so many all over the world, is the numerous products made in Israel which have become part of and parcel our lives; such as the Disk-on-Key for storage of data and the MobileEye for safe driving, to name just a few. I find it miraculous that after 68 years only, apart from Silicon Valley, the highest concentration of high-tech companies in the world, such as Microsoft, Motorola, Google, Apple and Facebook are found in Israel.
To me, Israel is the determination and resilience of its people who fill up the restaurants and coffee places only a few hours after a terror attack. This is what makes me so proud to be an Israeli. May I take this opportunity to thank all our friends who expressed their solidarity and sorrow after the recent terror attack in Tel-Aviv.
Excellency Minister Fokaides, dear friends: Cyprus is our friend and ally, this relationship stands on its own feet and we are committed to deepen and expand this alliance even further.
This alliance stands on our shared values, as well as our common concerns. This alliance is marked in our joint book of history, starting 70 years ago: an old metal plaque hanging on the wall of the passengers’ terminal of the port of Larnaka hints to the drama of those years.
There it is written: “A testimonial marker as an expression of gratitude of the Jewish people to the many Cypriot friends who encouraged and assisted the 52,384 Jewish refugees who were detained in camps erected on the island by the British from 1946 to1949 and departed from the ports of Cyprus on their way to freedom in Israel”.
Dear friends, The seeds of friendship and the profound sentiments that Israelis have for the Cypriots were planted in this particular period. For the holocaust survivors who were prevented from reaching the safe haven in their homeland, the Cypriots were the ones who offered food and comfort, remedies and simple human warmth. We will always cherish this Cypriot solidarity.
Today Israel and Cyprus enjoy an unprecedented level of strong relations in all fields: Politics, Economy, Health, Culture, Education, Defense, Energy, Tourism, Cyber and Innovation, to name just a few. Our bilateral relations are closer than ever before and intensified in all fields.
The innumerous visits and meetings of our leadership and ministerial delegations, businessmen, as well as the sight of Israeli airplanes in the Cypriot sky, reflect these unique relations. The genuine friendship and passion of Israelis for Cyprus is also reflected by the increased number of tourists, which exceeds 100,000 and is still growing.
The Israel-Cyprus fabric of ties can serve far beyond our mutual bilateral interests, contributing to further stability, security and prosperity in the region.
Israel is a peace seeking nation, just like you, our Cypriot friends. PM Netanyahu repeatedly calls for peace, reiterating his commitment to making peace with the Palestinians and with all our neighbors. Peace is our strategic choice.
As we celebrate our Independence Day, we share our hope for Cyprus; that the Cypriot people will achieve the desired peace in the country, for the benefit of all the people of Cyprus. We hope that the current negotiations will reach a just and viable solution, in line with relevant UNSC resolutions, thus creating a new horizon of opportunities contributing to regional stability and prosperity.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as we celebrate Israel’s Independence we praise our leaderships who are committed to peace, we applaud our peoples who cherish life and democratic values; we salute our friendship and our commitment for the Israel-Cyprus long lasting alliance.