ISRAEL's ENTRY INTO CYPRUS, 1959-1963: DIPLOMACY and STRATEGY in the EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN by Zach Levey*
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ISRAEL'S ENTRY INTO CYPRUS, 1959-1963: DIPLOMACY AND STRATEGY IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN By Zach Levey* Israel's establishment of relations with Cyprus in 1960 marked the successful culmination of the diplomatic campaign that it had commenced in early 1959. The entry into Cyprus deepened Israel's strategic cooperation with Turkey, ameliorated the regional isolation from which the Jewish state had begun to emerge, and enhanced its image as a dynamic state that could assist other countries emerging from colonialism. Cyprus gained its independence on Foreign Ministry created a separate August 16, 1960 and agreed to exchange division to deal with fourteen African ambassadors with Israel. That assent countries that in 1960 and 1961 became notwithstanding, Cyprus deferred until independent and entered into diplomatic January 1961 the opening of an Israeli relations with the Jewish state. embassy, acquiescing to it only after Israel wanted to establish ties with Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots Cyprus, too, in order to further ameliorate supported a sustained Israeli campaign to the isolation that had marked the first gain diplomatic entry. Moreover, Cyprus decade of its existence, but also did not send an envoy to Israel and only anticipated the establishment of friendly in 1994 did they open an embassy in Tel ties with a new state that "shared its Aviv. Why did Israel nevertheless border."(1) Thus, attendant upon Israel's consider the establishment of ties with desire for representation in Nicosia were Cyprus, a country with a population of additional foreign policy aims that made less than 600,000, and poor in natural relations with Cyprus a goal more resources, an important foreign policy ambitious than merely the opening of objective? another embassy abroad. This article From 1948 to 1956, Israel devoted analyzes the cluster of objectives that most of its attention in foreign policy to Israel pursued in its diplomacy with relations with the powers that could Cyprus, the role of Israeli-Turkish provide it with arms, economic aid, and relations in achieving them, and the immigrants. At the beginning of 1957, measure of success of those policies. Israel maintained only seven embassies, Israel's foreign policy with regards to four of which were in Europe (Britain, Cyprus has been almost completely France, Italy, and the Soviet Union), two unexplored in the secondary literature.(2) in North America (the United States and Among primary sources, British Canada) and one (Argentina) in Latin documents in the Public Record Office at America. But by 1960, Israel had sent Kew reveal little regarding Israel's role in ambassadors to Ghana and Liberia, Cyprus, while files at the Ben Gurion established ties with Ethiopia and Archive and the Israel Defense Force Guinea, and forged a relationship with Archive contain little more than cursory Turkey and Iran marked by a quiet but references to the subject. Thus, this growing strategic consensus. The Israeli article makes extensive use of recently Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 7, No. 3 (September 2003) 73 Zach Levey released documents at the Israel State possible, Israel wished at least to ensure Archive and highlights the role of the that Greece not dictate the character of its Israeli Foreign Ministry in the future ties with Cyprus. formulation of policy toward Cyprus. Sixth, Israel aspired to closer relations with Turkey, which, since the OBJECTIVES AND OBSTACLES IN establishment of Israel, had declined to CYPRUS exchange envoys at the ambassadorial Six elements in Israel's foreign policy level. Ankara's refusal to do so made salient the establishment of notwithstanding, the 1958 coup in Iraq diplomatic ties with Cyprus. These are and the rise of the UAR created greater recounted here briefly and dealt with at common ground. This was the basis for greater length below. First, Israel was Israel's initiative of an "alliance of the determined to thwart the attempts of the periphery," the purpose of which was to United Arab Republic (UAR; the union forge ties in regions beyond the Arab of Egypt and Syria that the former confrontation states. Israel cultivated dominated) to pressure the new republic relations with Turkey and Iran, both to deny Israel a presence there and thus Muslim but non-Arab states, and hinder its efforts to break out of its predominantly Christian Ethiopia, which regional isolation. Second, Israel also controlled the approaches to the Red sought to ameliorate the isolation that Sea.(5) On August 2, 1958, Israeli marked its international diplomatic Foreign Minister Golda Meir met in standing. In April 1955, Israel was Zurich with Fatim Zorlu, her Turkish excluded from the Bandung Conference counterpart and on August 29, 1958, of non-aligned countries, which adopted David Ben Gurion, Israel's prime an anti-Israeli motion. Exclusion from minister, met secretly in Ankara with Bandung distressed the Israelis, who Adnan Menderes, prime minister of thereafter placed even greater emphasis Turkey. Israel and Turkey also shared upon every demonstration of friendship intelligence discreetly with a view to shown them and heightened the containing the influence of Egyptian importance of establishing relations with President Gamal Abdul Nasser.(6) emerging states. Third, as an independent Israel included neither Greece nor state, Cyprus could vote in the United Cyprus in the alliance of the periphery Nations, and Israel's desire to avoid but nevertheless viewed favorably the ostracism made diplomatic ties with it emergence of a friendly regime in a important for that reason too. Closer trade Cypriot state that was both ties was a fourth incentive to pursue geographically proximate (220 miles to relations. its west) and non-Arab.(7) At the same A fifth goal was Israel's attempt to time, Israel sought to enhance its status in exploit ties with Cyprus to improve its the eyes of the Western powers by chilly relations with Greece. Since 1954, presenting itself as a regional power able the debates in the United Nations on the to exert a pro-Western influence on its future of Cyprus had Greece seeking the newly independent "neighbor." It was support of the Arab states.(3) Israel had also natural that Israel consider ties with refrained from supporting either Enosis the Turks of Cyprus a means to further (the union of Cyprus with Greece) or enhance its relationship with Ankara. partition of the country between its Greek Moreover, the support that the Arab and Turkish communities, but had states lent the Greek Cypriots both before lobbied in the United Nations in favor of and after that country's independence Turkey's position regarding a deepened Turkey's sense of regional compromise on Cyprus.(4) Thus, were an isolation and heightened its perception improvement in relations with Athens not that there existed the potential for 74 Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 7, No. 3 (September 2003) Israel's Entry into Cyprus, 1959-1963: Diplomacy & Strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean cooperation with Israel over Cyprus as 1959, he won two thirds of the Greek well.(8) Cypriot vote, thereby becoming Yet, four main obstacles obstructed President-elect of Cyprus.(10) The Israel's diplomacy in Nicosia: the Israelis considered Makarios a threat to disposition toward Israel of the their endeavors in Cyprus, viewed government of Greece, the circumstances overcoming his resistance to their of the Greek diaspora in Egypt, the presence a principal diplomatic identification with Athens of the Greek challenge, and sought the help of both the community of Cyprus, and the attitude of government of Turkey and the Turkish that community's leader, Archbishop Cypriots in pursuing that goal. Michael Mouskos Makarios. Thus, at These objectives and obstacles first, the Greek government had accorded provide the setting for the three periods Israel only de facto recognition, that this work explores. The first phase applauded Egypt's 1956 "victory" over commenced when Greece and Turkey Britain, and developed close ties with the signed the February 1959 Zurich and Arab states, while allowing Israel no London agreements that lay down the more than the lowest level of diplomatic terms for the end of British rule and the representation in Athens. Second, both political future of Cyprus.(11) The Greece and the Greek Cypriots evinced Israelis assumed that when Cyprus great concern for the Greek communities achieved statehood, it would grant them of Egypt. In 1960, the Greek diaspora in permission to open an embassy and Egypt, centered mainly in Alexandria, prepared the groundwork for that numbered approximately 70,000 people, occasion. Yet, when in August 1960, of whom some 17,000 were Greek Cyprus became independent, it left in Cypriots. This diaspora community abeyance Israel's diplomatic status. This exerted pressure upon both the setback forced the Israeli Foreign government in Athens and Greek leaders Ministry to concentrate upon forestalling in Cyprus, claiming that both an exclusion from that country, and during enhancement of Greece's relations with this second phase, Israel conducted a Israel and the inauguration of Cypriot- lobbying campaign in which Turkey and Israeli ties would bring upon them the the Turkish Cypriots played a central wrath of the Egyptian authorities. role. That campaign culminated in A third encumbrance lay in the area of January 1961, when the government of commercial ties. The Greek community Cyprus allowed Israel to open its of Cyprus constituted 80% of the embassy in Nicosia. The third part of this population of the island and controlled, work evaluates the manner in which proportionally, an even greater share of Israel then exploited its opportunity. its commerce. The Greek Cypriots traded with the Arab states, and many of them FEBRUARY 1959 TO JANUARY viewed askance Israel's efforts to create 1961: BALANCING ACT closer economic relations with Cyprus.