Israel and the Cyprus Question: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy and International Relations 1946–1960

Description

Providing a detailed account of Israel’s foreign policy towards the Cyprus question between 1946 and the declaration of Cypriot independence in August 1960, Gabriel Haritos examines the international and regional factors which shaped Israel’s approach to diplomatic relations with the independent Republic of Cyprus. Based on newly available archival material from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, declassified at the author’s request, and on material collected from the Turkish-Cypriot ‘National’ Archives, Haritos highlights previously unknown events, and the key personalities involved in Israel’s political and diplomatic interactions over the Cyprus question. In doing so, he offers key insights into the Middle Eastern aspect of the unresolved Cyprus conflict. Cover Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Contents Figures Abbreviations Acknowledgements Prologue Introduction Chapter summaries Sources 1 Israel and Cyprus Between East and West 1.1 Israeli foreign policy: A question of orientation 1.1.1 Israel and the Soviet Union 1.1.2 Israel and the United States 1.1.3 Israel and the Third World 1.1.4 Fundamental pillars of Israel’s foreign policy in the early 1950s 1.2 The importance of Cyprus to Britain and the Greek Cypriot factor 2 Israel, the Greek Cypriots and Regional Realities 2.1 Cyprus as a place of detention for Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, 1946–9 2.2 Cooperation between Israelis and Greek Cypriots 1946–9 2.3 The inauguration of Israel’s general consulate in Nicosia, 1950 2.3.1 The first issues on the agenda of the newly founded Israeli consulate in Cyprus 2.3.1.1 The Jewish community of Cyprus 2.3.1.2 The British authorities’ cold shoulder 2.3.1.3 The Cypriot left -wing trade unions: A critical attitude 2.4 Israel and the Enosis movement, 1950–4 2.4.1 The reluctance of Ben-Gurion’s government to provide political support for the Enosis movement 2.4.2 Creating a new regional alliance amongst Israel, Turkey and Britain 2.4.2.1 The presence of Israeli entrepreneurs in Cyprus 2.4.2.2 The resonance of the Enosis Plebiscite and Turkish Cypriot concerns 2.4.3 Greek and Israeli regional foreign policy: A story of incompatibility 2.4.3.1 Greece’s de facto recognition of Israel in 1952 2.4.3.2 The Cephalonia Earthquake and the perspectives in Greek–Israeli relations, 1953–4 3 Israel’s Stance on the Cyprus Question before the United Nations 3.1 Israel’s assessment of the intentions of the Cypriot ethnarchy and Greece to bring the Enosis issue before the UN, 1951–3 3.2 Israel’s attitude vis-à-vis the question of Cyprus at the 9th Session of the UN General Assembly, 1954 3.2.1 The British factor 3.2.2 The Turkish factor 3.2.3 The Greek and Greek Cypriot factors 3.2.4 The Arab factor 3.2.5 Israel’s vote on the issue of Cyprus at the 9th Session of the UN General Assembly 3.3 Israel’s stance on the Cyprus issue at the 10th Session of the UN General Assembly, 1955 3.3.1 Greece’s pro-Arab position 3.3.2 Israel’s concerns about the priorities of Turkey’s regional policy 3.3.2.1 The military cooperation agreement between Turkey and Iraq (Baghdad Pact) 3.3.2.2 Turkey’s participation in the Bandung Conference 3.3.3. Britain’s guarantee of Israel’s safety 3.3.4 Israel’s vote on the Cyprus issue at the 10th Session of the UN General Assembly 3.3.5 The position of the Israeli prime minister and Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett on the Cyprus issue, 1955 3.4 The Israeli position on the Cyprus issue at the 11th UN General Assembly Session, 1956 3.4.1 The eventful realignments of 1956 3.4.2 The Israeli assessment of developments in Cyprus 3.4.2.1 Israeli assessment of Britain’s decision to exile Makarios 3.4.2.2 The developments in Cyprus and their effect on bilateral contacts between Greece and Israel 3.4.2.3 Upset in Turco-Israeli relations and the possibility of a pro-Greek Israeli reversal, 1956 3.4.3 The Israeli vote on the Cyprus issue at the 11th Session of the UN General Assembly 3.5 The Israeli stance on the Cyprus issue at the 12th Session of the UN General Assembly, 1957 3.5.1 Israeli concerns and speculations on British intentions and American pursuits in Cyprus 3.5.2 The Turkish tactic of ‘Islamization’ of the Cyprus issue, according to Israeli diplomatic reports 3.5.3 Assessments of the Israeli consulate in Nicosia concerning political trends among Greek and Turkish Cypriots 3.5.3.1 The Greek Cypriot political scene 3.5.3.2 The Turkish Cypriot political scene 3.5.3.3 Israel’s image in Cypriot society 3.5.4. The Israeli vote on the Cyprus issue at the 12th Session of the UN General Assembly 3.6 The Israeli stance on the Cyprus issue at the 13th Session of the UN General Assembly, 1958 3.6.1 The Foot Plan and Israeli assessments 3.6.1.1 The Israeli consulate’s concerns over Israel’s image in Cypriot public opinion 3.6.1.1.1 Zeev Levin’s contacts with Cypriot trade unionism and his political interventions in favour of the Greek Cypriots 3.6.1.1.2 Turkish Cypriot public opinion and Israel: ‘Filistin’ or ‘İsrail’? 3.6.2 Makarios’ visit to Cairo in June of 1958, viewed through Israeli diplomatic reports 3.6.3 The Macmillan Plan and Israeli concerns about UAR influence in Cyprus 3.6.4 The Turkish–Israeli rapprochement, 1958 3.6.5 Israeli pro-Turkish manoeuvres on the Cyprus issue at the UN 3.6.5.1 Israeli critique of the Greek positions 3.6.5.2 The vote on the Cyprus issue at the 13th Session of the UN General Assembly 3.6.6 Assessing Israel’s stance on the Cyprus issue at the 13th Session of the UN General Assembly 4 Israel and the London–Zurich Agreements on Cyprus 4.1 Israel’s information about negotiations between Greece, Turkey and Great Britain in view of the London–Zurich Agreements 4.2 The repercussions of the London and Zurich Agreements on Greece and Turkey, according to Israel’s diplomatic reports 4.2.1 Repercussions on Greece 4.2.2 Repercussions on Turkey 4.3 Prospects for improved diplomatic relations between Israel and Greece and Israel and Turkey following the London–Zurich Agreements 4.3.1 Prospects for the normalization of Israeli–Greek diplomatic relations 4.3.2 Prospects for improvement in Israeli–Turkish relations 5 Israel and Cyprus in the Transition Period 5.1 Israel’s assessments and concerns about the orientation of regional foreign policy in the soon-to-be independent State of Cyprus 5.2 The impact of Greek and Turkish Cypriots on relations between independent Cyprus and Israel 5.2.1 The Greek Cypriot factor 5.2.1.1 The Greek Cypriot ministers of the Transitional government 5.2.1.2 The anti-Makarios Right 5.2.1.3 The position of the left ist AKEL Party 5.2.1.4 Statements made by Makarios to the Washington Star on relations between Cyprus, Israel and the Arabs 5.2.2 The Turkish Cypriot positions vis-à-vis relations between Israel and Cyprus 5.3 Assessment of Israel’s contacts with the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities in 1959 6 Independent Cyprus and the Arab–Israeli Tug of War 6.1 Israel’s diplomatic manoeuvring in view of Cyprus’ declaration of independence 6.1.1 Israel’s views on forming bilateral relations with Cyprus: The meeting at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 2 July 1959 6.1.2 Israel’s diplomatic manoeuvres in view of the declaration of Cypriot independence and the 20 December meeting at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs 6.1.3 ‘Operation Spyros Skouras’ 6.1.4 The standstill in negotiations in Cyprus, February–July 1960, through Israeli diplomatic reports 6.1.5 Bilateral meetings between Greek Cypriot and Israeli officials from February to July 1960 6.1.6 Israel’s diplomatic manoeuvres leading up to the day of Cyprus’ Declaration of Independence, 16 August 1960 6.2 Arab actions against the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Cyprus and Israel 6.2.1 The Arab boycott on Israel 6.2.1.1 The political aspect of the Arab boycott and Cyprus 6.2.2 Relations between the UAR and Cyprus during the Transitional Period in Israeli diplomatic reports 6.2.3 Lebanon’s policy in Cyprus during the Transitional Period, in Israeli diplomatic reports 6.2.3.1 Lebanon and the Cypriot Maronites 6.2.3.1.1 Lebanon’s interest in the status of Maronites in the Cypriot political system 6.2.3.1.2 Maronite parliamentary representation in Cyprus as a Lebanese priority 6.2.3.2 Lebanon, the Arab boycott and Cypriot–Israeli relations 6.3 The impact of diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Israel on the Arab world, Greece and Turkey 7 Overview of Israel’s Foreign Policy towards Cyprus, 1946–60 7.1 Western guarantees for Israel’s security and the background to regional collaboration between Turkey and Israel during the 1950s 7.2 Israel’s stance on the Cyprus issue up to 1957 7.3 Israel’s reasons for supporting Turkey’s positions on the Cyprus issue at the 13th Session of the UN General Assembly, 1958 7.4. Israeli foreign policy and Cyprus in the Transitional Period 7.5 Conclusions 7.5.1 1946–1949 7.5.2 1950–1957 7.5.3 1958 7.5.4 1959–1960 Archival Sources and Bibliography Index of Names