Inauguration of Papavasiliou B Square15 Hubert Humphrey St., Bat Galim in Haifa
By: the news reporter of the site "Hai Fe"
Tonight, (Monday, 30.4.2018) "Papavasiliou Square" was inaugurated in the Bat-Galim neighborhood of Haifa, the square is at the end of Hubert Humphrey Street in the neighborhood, the square that was inaugurated is named after Prodromos Christos Papavasiliou who is a Greek Cypriot and was a distinct friend of Israel who fought in the ranks of the British Army As a volunteer alongside Jewish volunteers and helped the illegal immigration while risking his life for the Holocaust refugees who were deported to the detention camps in Cyprus between the years 1949-1946.
| The British abused the Holocaust survivors who survived the extermination camps:
To remind you, when the Holocaust survivors, who survived the camps, arrived in Israel, starving and sick, the British ruled Israel in those years. The British were well aware of the situation of the Jews of Europe and despite this, under the influence of the Arabs and out of a desire to please the Arab public in Israel, the British concentrated the rest of the refugees in the Atlit detention camp and from there deported the Jews who survived the Nazis, directly to a detention camp in Cyprus.
Papavassiliou worked in Cyprus for the Jews and thus was recognized by the Israeli government as a follower of the nations of the world.
The ceremony was attended by the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Papavassiliou, hundreds of people including many guests, the consuls of the various countries, the mayor of Limassol in Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Nicolaidis, the children, grandchildren and great-grandson of Papavassiliou, the member of the Cypriot parliament Avruf Neoftou, the Cypriot ambassador to Israel Mrs. Selina Shambos and Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav.
The location of "Papavasiliou Square" was determined precisely in the Bat-Galim neighborhood in Haifa on Hubert Humphrey Street, and this is because of its proximity to the sea, right on the seashore, and the proximity to the Museum of Enlistment and the Navy, and also because Papavasiliou loved the sea, and lived for many years in the city of Limassol, which is a twin city of the city Haifa.
During the ceremony, on behalf of the Papavassiliou family, his son, Christakis, blessed and told the news reporter of the website "Hai Pa":
"I am all excited here today, and my voice is choked and tears are flowing in my eyes in light of the beautiful and charming gesture that the city of Haifa made in memory of my father. My father loved Israel very much and always wanted to help the Jewish survivors of the Holocaust while taking a great risk in illegally immigrating to Israel. My father's dream was before his death To visit again the city of Haifa that he loved so much for many years and today I and all the members of my family who came here today, his children and my grandchildren, through you we fulfill my father's dream. I would like to thank the city of Haifa for everything it has done for us in commemorating my father's memory and name in this beautiful and charming square that we are standing next to." .
It should also be noted that over the years Papavassiliou founded the shipping company of Famagusta, it is the port city on the eastern coast of the island of Cyprus and its ships brought immigrants from Cyprus to the country at the end of the mandate, and over the years he worked in fruitful cooperation with the shipping company "ZIM".
At the day's ceremony held as part of the events of the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel, speeches were made by guests of the ceremony and it was accompanied by artistic pieces performed by the singer Daniela Skorka and conducted by David Zeba, the conductor of the Ra'anana Symphony Orchestra. During the ceremony, Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav presented Papa's house and son with a certificate Recognition of their father's brave acts of heroism.
At the end of the ceremony, the lot was removed from the sign of Papa's life story and from the stone placed in the square.
Photographs: Adir Yizirf.
