Address
by the President of the Republic Mr Nicos Anastasiades at the inauguration of a
photo exhibition in New York
The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos
Anastasiades, and Rabbi Arthur Schneier inaugurated yesterday afternoon the
photographic exhibition “Jewish refugees in Cyprus en route to Israel, held at
the “Sam and Esther Minskoff” Cultural Centre in Manhattan, New York.
In his address, President Anastasiades
noted the following:
“It is an honor for me to inaugurate
tonight’s exhibition, ‘Jewish refugees in Cyprus en route to Israel’.
The 44 photographs in this exhibit
present a dark period in history in which European Jews migrated from their
homelands in a long and uncertain journey to a new home. In the second half of
the 1940’s Cyprus, at the time a
British colony, became the temporary refuge for tens of
thousands of Jewish refugees.
Fleeing post-war Europe, survivors of
the Holocaust found themselves barred from entering Palestine due to British
quotas. Forced to immigrate illegally, they boarded ships and ventured into the
Mediterranean, unsure of their fate.
The British Navy overtook 39 of these
ships, carrying a total of 52,000 passengers, and sent their passengers to Cyprus.
On the island, the British government
created a series of detention camps in order to prevent Jewish refugees from
another attempt at entering Palestine. There were nine camps in Cyprus, located
at two sites, about 50km apart. These were in Caraolos, north of Famagusta, and
in Dekhelia, outside of Larnaca.
For these people, their deportation period
to Cyprus was the last stage in their long journey to the land of Israel. It
was a period of uncertainty, depravation, and harsh living conditions, but even
under these circumstances, at the military camps there was life, a lot of
compassion and love. Despite the immense difficulties, the prisoners turned the
camps into vibrant communities. It is recorded that 2,200 children were born in
the camps. Cypriots, workers in the camps as well as locals, helped the
detainees get clean water and food, and gradually befriended them. Many
prisoners tried to escape from the camps and were aided by Cypriots through
underground tunnels. Through the intervention of the Israeli government, the
British slowly allowed detainees to leave the camps and head for Palestine.
On February 10, 1949, the last Jews
finally were freed from the confines of the camps 267 days after the
establishment of the state of Israel.
In 1950 a group of former internees, by
then citizens of Israel, expressed their gratitude and appreciation to Cyprus
by creating a children’s playground in Famagusta. In 1998 more than 150 Jewish community
leaders from around the world visited Cyprus and unveiled a testimonial plaque
at the Larnaca port. The inscription on the plaque states that it is an
expression of gratitude of the Jewish people to the many Cypriot friends, who
encouraged and assisted the 52,384 Jewish refugees who stayed in camps erected
on the island by the British from 1946-1949 and departed from the ports of
Cyprus on their way to freedom in Israel.
In July 2014 the Cyprus government
unveiled a commemorative plaque for Cypriots who helped those Jewish refugees,
which will serve as a reminder, for present and future generations, of the warm
relations developed during difficult and dark times between the Cypriot and
Jewish people.
This bond of compassion and understanding
developed between our two peoples and later between our two countries, is
rooted in the depth of history and goes back to ancient times. When the first
Jews settled in Cyprus during the Hellenistic period, making their presence on
the island important until the Roman era; during the Ottoman period, when
Cyprus received once again waves of Sephardic Jews who flocked the countries of
the Ottoman Empire after their expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula in 1492.
A more recent encounter of the two
peoples took place at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th
century, when efforts took place to compose Jewish agricultural communities on
our island.
Today, the relations between two
countries have entered into their brightest stage, not under conditions of need
or duress, but of free will and choice.
During the extensive meetings with
officials from the Israeli government, including the Prime Minister of Israel,
Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, whom we expect to host in our country soon, what was
established was that Cyprus and Israel share a common vision: to substantially and strategically upgrade
our relations in all possible fields for our mutual benefit. Personally, I will
spare no effort and initiative and will offer every necessary help to achieve
this goal.
Closing, I would like to point out that behind
these black and white, one dimensional pictures, lies an historic encounter of two
peoples, marked by common pain, common fate but also a common vision for peace
and prosperity, in this narrow and explosive corner of the Eastern
Mediterranean.
Our warm relationship will always lead
our future steps for the common good of our people and the wider region. My
hope is that our generation and those to come, will summon that same sense of
collective purpose and courage that their ancestors portrayed, and that Cyprus
and Israel, which are united in history and vision, will work together, to one
day celebrate peace and security in our region.
Last but not least, let me thank the
organizers for the initiative to inaugurate this important exhibition,
especially Rabbi Arthur Schneier, as well as the Sam and Esther Minskof
Cultural Center for hosting it. Thanks goes also to Cypriot-Hellenic community
leaders and the overall support received by the community members which has
made this exhibition possible.”
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