By George Psyllides
JUSTICE Minister Doros Theodorou said yesterday the Cabinet would be granting Israeli security officers permission to bear arms for the last time during a football match between Cyprus and Israel for the Euro 2004 qualifiers.
The issue emerges every time Israeli teams play on the island – with Israeli sides demanding that teams be escorted by their own armed officers – and despite objections, Cyprus finally grants permission.
Police objected to the demand, arguing that the security of the Israeli teams was their job, but according to reports yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon personally called President Tassos Papadopoulos to allow the presence of armed officers in Limassol’s Tsirion stadium today.
Sharon cited the increased danger of a terrorist attack against the teams due to the war in Iraq.
Theodorou said yesterday it was the last time the Cabinet was granting permission to armed Israeli officers to oversee the game.
“The decision has already been taken by the Cabinet – to enforce for the last time this system, which has traditionally been in place,” the minister said.
“I do not understand how two or three armed officers in a stadium could protect anyone when there are dozens or hundreds of our police officers,” Theodorou added.
He said Cyprus gave the Israelis many facilities when it was convinced there was a reason and when the sovereignty line was not crossed.
“In this case, I am not convinced there is a reason,” Theodorou said.
He added: “And since there is no reason I think this situation should end.”
The Israeli team arrived on the island on Thursday night and are staying in a Limassol hotel.
Israeli air force jets escorted the team to Cyprus and would be escorting them back, reports said.
They are escorted in all their movement by police officers and Israeli agents, armed to the teeth to avert any unpleasant situations.
Reports said a number of supporters had travelled with the team though more could arrive today.
Measures outside the stadium today are expected to be draconian, with officers body-searching anyone entering the ground.
In previous games, police prevented anyone without a ticket from approaching the area and installed metal detectors and scanning equipment at the gates.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
