The Israeli embassy in Cyprus hosted renowned Chef Shaul Ben Aderet along with Chefs Itamar Fadida and Ben Shaham at the embassy’s 74th Independence Day celebrations. The embassy held four events during the second week of May to mark the holiday.

On Monday, May 9, the embassy hosted a special lunch at the Center for People with Mental Health Disabilities in Nicosia District, which serves people from 12 different communities. The event was held with the full participation of center staff, families and community leaders. The event included a tour of the center and conversations with the staff and sponsors, speeches, a cultural and musical program performed by the sponsors at the center, and a special lunch prepared by the Israeli chefs.

On the following day, Chef Ben Aderet participated in a morning show on the local Sigma TV station. He prepared Israeli foods, cooked, promoted Israel as a tourist and culinary destination, and showed pictures of him with former Prime Minister Netanyahu and Cypriot President Anastasiades. He also shared his Greek roots with the audience – his grandmother came from Thessaloniki – illustrating the cultural connection between the nations.

The embassy’s celebration of Israel’s independence continued the following day when Israeli Ambassador Oren Anolik held a reception for television and print journalists, entitled “Israel on the Table.” The event featured Israeli dishes prepared by Chef Ben Aderet and his team and featured an online Kahoot quiz about the State of Israel. The winners received fine Israeli wine.

The highlight of the week was a gala dinner. In May 12th at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Larnaca, with 150 distinguished guests from various sectors in attendance, including the Speaker of Parliament, Annita Demetriou, who congratulated Israel on behalf of the Cypriot government for its 74th Independence Day, and praised the excellent relations.

Ambassador Anolik spoke of cultural diversity as one of Israel secrets of success. He used food as a metaphor by saying "Israel is a salad rather than a 'melting pot'; each of its ingredients has preserved its original taste, but together they produce a new, complex and interesting flavour"