Israeli election campaign billboards in Cyprus spark debate

Israeli election campaign billboards in Cyprus spark debate Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has been hit by a backlash over an election campaign billboard in Cyprus targeting Israeli tourists and residents. An image shared by Cypriot MEP Fidias Panayiotou on Sunday showed the billboard in Hebrew featuring a photo of Eisenkot next to a message reading: “Israelis, enjoy! You deserve it!” which can be seen by travellers leaving Larnaca airport.

For those going to the airport, a second one reads: “Have fun? Now come back and win!” "This photo was not taken in Israel, but in my country, Cyprus," Panayiotou said. We must defend Cyprus's sovereignty." Cyprus is a leading holiday destination for Israelis, who comprised the island’s second-largest group of visitors in 2025.

Israeli election campaign billboards in Cyprus spark debate Submitted by Hannah. Smith on Mon, 07/27/2026 - 15:56 Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot is criticised as concerns grow over increasing Israeli presence in Cyprus Gadi Eisenkot has taken his election campaign to Cyprus with a billboard targeting Israeli holidaymakers and expats on the island (X/Fidias0) Off Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has been hit by a backlash over an election campaign billboard in Cyprus targeting Israeli tourists and residents. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and its subsequent wars on Iran and Lebanon, Cyprus has seen an increase in the number of Israeli tourists and residents.

With more Israelis buying property on the island and reports of increased real estate signs in Hebrew, the ads caused some Cypriots on social media to question the potential impact of foreign political messaging in Cyprus. Both Cypriots and Israelis also questioned the reasoning behind campaigning for the upcoming Israeli elections outside of the country. This photo was not taken in Israel, but in my country, Cyprus.This time is political propaganda, but it is also becoming increasingly common to see billboards advertising real estate in Hebrew across the island.This is simply not right.

We must defend Cyprus's sovereignty. pic.twitter.com/wGTBjC1Qaw— Fidias Panayiotou (@Fidias0) July 26, 2026 In a video shared on TikTok, Panayiotou called the move “particularly concerning” and "unacceptable", proposing legislation that would prohibit countries outside the EU from promoting election campaigns in Cyprus. His comments reflected a wider debate sparked by the incident.

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