Cyprus–Israel relations
Cyprus–Israel relations refer to the bilateral relations between Cyprus and Israel. Israel has an embassy in Nicosia, while Cyprus has an embassy in Tel Aviv. Both countries are members of the Union for the Mediterranean, United Nations, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Cyprus and Israel have extensive collaboration on military, cultural, and political matters. The prospect of a joint use of oil and gas fields off Cyprus, as well as EuroAsia Interconnector, now the world's longest subsea electric power cable have also brought the two countries closer together. History During and immediately after World War II, Cyprus became a transit point for Jewish Holocaust survivors trying to reach Mandate Palestine. Cyprus was then a British Crown Colony. From 1946 to 1949, an estimated 53,000 Jews were detained by the British in camps on Cyprus. Today, relations between Cyprus and Israel are strong. Many Cypriots and Israelis refer to them as Cypriot-Israeli brotherhood. In September 2013, the leader of Democratic Rally Averof Neofytou called for supporting Israel as Cyprus's most reliable partner. Israeli President Shimon Peres called Cyprus Israel's most predictable neighbour. Bilateral relations In the 1980s and