29 April 2025 - Volt Condemns President Christodoulides’ Upcoming Visit to Israel
Volt expresses its deep disappointment over the planned visit of President Nikos Christodoulides to Israel on 4 May 2025, where he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a leader against whom the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
This visit represents a blatant contradiction to Cyprus’ long-standing commitment to international law, human rights and justice. The principles that characterize a European rule of law and that Cyprus, a country which has suffered the Turkish occupation of its northern part since 1974, has tirelessly defended, constantly demanding the application of international law in the face of the Turkish invasion and occupation. However, with the current interaction with Israel, which perpetuates an illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, our homeland is undermining its position.
The undermining of international and humanitarian law, our only safeguard against the law of the jungle, undermines the position of small states like Cyprus, leaving us at the mercy of the law of the strong. Cyprus rightly demands justice for its own people, but fails to hold Israel to the same demanding terms, despite the overwhelming evidence of war crimes and genocide in Gaza. The application of International Law must not be selective, but universal.
As a signatory to the Rome Statute, the Republic of Cyprus is legally obliged to cooperate with the ICC, including by arresting individuals like Prime Minister Netanyahu. With this meeting, President Christodoulides not only gives legitimacy to a wanted war criminal, but also violates the spirit of the International Court of Justice’s directive requiring all states to refrain from actions that perpetuate the illegal Israeli occupation.
Volt calls on the Cypriot government to reconsider this visit. We call on President Christodoulides to:
Cancel the visit to Israel and avoid any interaction that legitimizes the continued violations of International Law.
Consistently uphold international law, including the Republic of Cyprus’ obligations under the Rome Statute.
Cyprus cannot uphold justice within its borders while reinforcing injustice abroad.