Cyprus Was Historically High on the Zionist Agenda
A reply to one Presidential post on X pointed out that one of the founders of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, “asked Britain if the Zionists could have Cyprus — UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain said no and they had to ‘find a spot in the English possession where there were no white people as yet’”. This is where the story of the Zionist expansion into Cyprus begins.
That quote is taken from a Turkish academic paper entitled ‘Zionist Plans and Cyprus 1896–1948’. The first Zionist ‘contemplations’ concerning Cyprus include Herzl pondering acquisition of Cyprus and offering it to Turkey in exchange for Palestine in June 1896. The Zionist strategy was to colonise Cyprus and form a base or ‘vantage point’ from which to launch their invasion of Palestine. From the paper:
A proposal put forward in January 1901 that England should exchange Cyprus for German East Africa led Zionist leader Herzl to speculate: ‘Germany would then have to welcome a Jewish settlement in Cyprus with delight. We should rally on Cyprus and one day go over to Eretz Israel and take it by force …’
The following words are part of a speech during the Third Zionist Congress in 1899 by Zionist David Trietsch. Born in Germany, he was one of the founders of the Zionist movement and expounded the theory that practical colonisation in Palestine was more important than political negotiations.
Jews shouldn’t seek refuge in lands favourable for European settlement, as they would encounter resistance in every such country. They also won’t be able to efficiently settle in tropical regions. Given these conditions, Cyprus is the most suitable location for Jewish settlement. While the island isn’t a magnet for European settlers, its climate is suitable for Europeans, and notably, it is in close proximity to Israel, serving as a gateway to it. ….more
