The ambassador of Palestine to Cyprus, Abdallah Attari, responding to a controversy involving Disy, expressed his appreciation for the friendship and solidarity between Palestine and Cyprus, reaffirming his “unwavering respect for the sovereignty and its [Cyprus’] internal processes.”

“We always find open doors, in a positive climate of understanding and mutual respect. I would like to underline that the Embassy of Palestine absolutely respects the sovereignty and internal affairs of all states, without interfering in them, adhering to the principles of international law and diplomatic ethics,” Attari said.

He emphasised that the embassy fully respects different opinions and considers political disagreements as a healthy part of a democratic society.

“In the same spirit, I simply expressed the wish, and not any intervention, that the Palestinian issue would be a point of common position and unanimity among political parties. A wish that is expressed with respect and gratitude towards Cyprus and is in no way related to internal political balances or procedures,” he added.

Attari stressed that the Palestinian Embassy holds the Republic of Cyprus and its local governments in high regard, and confirmed that the embassy refrained from getting involved in internal affairs.

“We do not interfere with the functioning of the Cypriot state on an internal level, however, we consider the statement of the Israeli official, according to which the Palestinian flag is a ‘symbol of anti-Semitism’, deeply offensive and unacceptable,” he said.

Attari said that the criticism voiced by the embassy related exclusively to the unfortunate and unjustified example used by Disy, as it equated the victim with the perpetrator.

The ambassador on Monday criticised Disy for issuing a statement in which he said the party “equates the struggling Palestinian people with a state which, along with its prime minister and ministers, is internationally accused of genocide and war crimes”.

Disy’s statement accused Akel of antisemitism in the context of an official request sent to Cyprus by Israel’s diaspora ministry.

In an interior ministry circular, forwarded to all municipalities and villages, the Israeli ministry was cited requesting the removal of any anti-Israel graffiti on the island.

“Akel’s stance is not surprising to us. Over time, it has chosen to face international issues with blinkers on and with ideological obsessions. In the same way, it uncritically supported the Soviet Union, condemned Cyprus’ accession to the European Economic Community, and attacked Nato without any inclination to realistically address our country’s interests,” Disy wrote.

The party said it wondered whether Akel would have “reacted with the same sensitivity” if the latter had been sent by the Palestinian side, saying Akel followed a and a “selective stance and ideological bias.”

Attari had responded to Disy’s statement on Monday evening, noting that the conservative party had formulated an offensive ‘analogy’ and stressed that “the Palestinian people are not asking for special treatment”, but that instead, “they are asking for justice”.

Disy then issued a statement saying that their position was not about Palestine or the Palestinian people, but concerned the stance of a political party of Cyprus on foreign policy issues.

“After all, we do not consider Hamas as an organisation representing the Palestinian people,” Disy said.

Attari later said that he did not understand Disy’s reference to Hamas, as his intervention was made in his position as the ambassador of the State of Palestine, representing the internationally recognised Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

The ambassador concluded by expressing his “deep appreciation for the long-standing relations of friendship and solidarity between the two peoples”, adding that with this statement, he considered the matter closed.