Relationship dossier
Cyprus
Israel
Relationship assessment
A sustained partnership spanning energy, defense and regional coordination
Cyprus toward Israel
+40Cyprus has pursued practical cooperation with Israel in energy and defense and has participated in trilateral coordination with Israel and Greece. The 2010 maritime-boundary agreement helped establish a framework for offshore energy cooperation.
Israel toward Cyprus
+45Israel has pursued energy and defense cooperation with Cyprus and participated in trilateral coordination with Cyprus and Greece. The 2010 maritime-boundary agreement set a framework for cooperation over offshore resources.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship has a durable cooperative foundation in the maritime-boundary agreement and subsequent energy, defense and regional coordination. These practical ties coexist with differences over Israeli policy toward the Palestinians, but those disagreements have not defined the overall relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Cyprus and Israel have developed a sustained, practical partnership, particularly in energy, defense and regional coordination. Their 2010 agreement on maritime boundaries provided a basis for offshore energy cooperation, while defense ties and trilateral coordination with Greece have broadened engagement. Differences over Israeli policy toward the Palestinians have not displaced this cooperation.
Areas of tension
- Differences over Israeli policy toward the Palestinians.
Key developments
Cyprus and Israel signed an agreement delimiting their exclusive economic zones, establishing a framework relevant to offshore energy cooperation.
Cyprus, Israel and Greece held a trilateral summit, expanding regional coordination among the three governments.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of defense cooperation are not fully clear.
- The extent to which planned regional energy projects will lead to sustained joint activity is uncertain.
- The practical effect of differences over Israeli policy toward the Palestinians on bilateral policy is unclear.