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Israel Allies Foundation (IAF) President Josh Reinstein called Türkiye a "common adversary" of Israel and the Greek Cypriot administration (GCA) as his group launched a parliamentary caucus there, Greek Cypriot media outlet Politis and Middle East Eye (MEE) reported.
The pro-Israel network set up caucuses in the Greek and Greek Cypriot parliaments within two days, drawing criticism over secrecy and foreign influence, while U.S. lobby group AIPAC also visited the island.
Reinstein spoke on Oct. 14 after an IAF delegation and caucus members met Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides at the presidential palace.
Asked about the talks with Christodoulides, Reinstein said they discussed the "excellent relations" between Israel and the Greek Cypriot administration.
"I believe that, under his presidency, our relations have developed at an unprecedented pace," Reinstein said, adding that many focus on the fact "that we have a common adversary, Türkiye." He pointed to economic ties, work on undersea fiber-optic cables and other joint initiatives.
Chrysis Pantelides, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party (DIKO), said six MPs from the Democratic Rally (DISY), the National Popular Front (ELAM) and DIKO formed the group.
Pantelides said the caucus aims to develop parliamentary diplomacy and strengthen cooperation and alliance ties with Israel. He said it seeks to address challenges and risks in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, including "Turkish expansionism and aggression and terrorism, which unfortunately is also supported by Türkiye."
The IAF delegation included Reinstein, ELAM lawmakers Sotiris Ioannou and Marios Pelekanos, and DIKO lawmakers Pantelides and Andreas Apostolou.
Reinstein said the IAF, founded nearly 20 years ago, has set up 67 pro-Israel caucuses in parliaments worldwide, from Fiji to Brazil, with the largest in the U.S. Congress.
"Today the 68th parliamentary group is being established in the Cypriot parliament, which will join this network of 1,700 MPs and legislators from 68 countries around the world," he said.
He said the IAF strategically launched a caucus in Greece the previous day and in the Greek Cypriot parliament the following day to highlight the alliance of Israel, Cyprus, Greece and the U.S.
"Of course, the United States remains our most important ally and we continue to strengthen this relationship," Reinstein said.
The IAF advocates recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and supports the occupation of the West Bank, according to Middle East Eye (MEE). It remains unclear which of the group’s positions the participating Greek Cypriot parties endorse. ELAM is known for its far-right and anti-Turkish stance.
Benny Elon, the Israeli politician who founded the IAF, called for the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland before his death in 2017.
AIPAC visited the island to promote what it called "security partnerships in the Eastern Mediterranean" between Israel, the GCA and the U.S., MEE reported.
The delegation, led by outgoing AIPAC President Bernard Kaminetsky and President-elect Yehuda Neuberger, met Christodoulides on Wednesday.
AIPAC has faced criticism in the U.S. for its influence over lawmakers and presidents. After a strategic review, the group recently announced it would stop formal candidate endorsements and direct PAC contributions amid political backlash.
In late September, another network, Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI), set up a chapter on the island, with DIKO, DISY and ELAM attending its launch, MEE reported. TFI operates through the American Jewish Committee’s Brussels-based Transatlantic Institute and seeks to convince European capitals that Israel is integral to Western security.
Volt Cyprus issued a statement on Oct. 20 titled "No to the institutionalization of foreign lobbies in parliament."
"As a small state fighting to be vindicated by international law, it is contrary to our national interests to give acritical support to country credibly accused of genocide, apartheid and crimes against humanity, and whose leaders are wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC)," the party told MEE.
"We object to foreign national interest lobbies having an inside track in our system that is ill-equipped to deal with them," it said.
The party said it fears AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups could replicate their model of influence over U.S. politics on the island.
"Our assessment is that closer ties with Israel puts our country in serious danger," Volt said, adding, "Aligning ourselves close to Israel, having an unreflective support for its policies, and cultivating an atmosphere of excited delusions of a clash with Türkiye puts us in the line of fire. Far from being our shield against Türkiye, Israel actions can cause us to be a proxy in the event of a clash."
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