Election posters, mass tourism and property: Israel’s footprint in Cyprus

This summer in Cyprus, a billboard near Laramaca airport greeted Israeli holidaymakers with a message: Israelis, enjoy! Now come back and win! The poster featured Israel's former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, marking what appears to be the first time a foreign politician has campaigned on billboards in Cyprus. The sign, promoting Israel's October 27 election, highlighted the growing Israeli presence on the island.

Israel is only 40 minutes away by plane; they can pop over, vote, and come back within the day, said TV presenter and pro-Palestine activist Melanie Steliou. The poster demonstrates how Israeli politicians see Cyprus as just another district of Israel, she added. This political influence extends to Cyprus's parliament, where six Cypriot lawmakers formed a pro-Israel caucus on October 20, launched by the advocacy group Israel Allies Foundation.

Economic Surge

Israeli investment in Cyprus has grown dramatically, rising more than sixfold between 2017 and 2024 to reach 5.1 billion euros ($5.9 billion), according to the Central Bank of Cyprus. This occurred even as total foreign investment in Cyprus fell by a quarter between 2022 and 2024. Israelis made nearly 600,000 trips to Cyprus last year, more than double the 2022 figure, with nearly one in four tourists arriving in August being Israeli.

In the 12 months to September 2025, Israelis made 850 property purchases in Larnaca district, more than any other foreign nationality. Israel's embassy in Nicosia estimates that 15,000 to 20,000 Israelis consider Cyprus home, though the 2021 census recorded just over 1,000 Israelis living in or registered in Cyprus. Theodosis Pipis, a Cypriot historian, noted that unlike previous waves of foreign investment, Israeli investment is creating a sense of community for the future.

Community Concerns

The rapid influx of Israelis has sparked tensions in Cyprus, particularly amid Israel's war in Gaza. I feel my heart sink when I hear and see large groups of Israeli men here, knowing that they have served in the military and can commit genocide and then buy property, said Giorgos Kyrou, a 32-year-old artist from Limassol. Others blamed the government, with Ioannis Nestoras, a local potter, stating: Our politicians are compromised.

Gated Communities

Israeli investment appears concentrated in residential zones, including gated communities that some Cypriots see as closed off from the wider community. Israeli companies have bought most of the coastline between Livadia and Pyla near Larnaca to build homes and hotels. The largest organized residential development in Cyprus is being promoted in Dromolaxia-Meneou, near Larnaca, with its own kindergarten, swimming pools, and private park.

Stefanos Stefanou, leader of the left-wing AKEL Party, stated in June 2025 that purchases in Larnaca and Limassol were creating gated communities almost inaccessible to anyone other than Israeli nationals. He accused Israel of preparing a backyard in Cyprus, adding: We do not say this because of xenophobia or anti-Semitism. Israel's former Ambassador to Cyprus Oren Anolik responded that Stefanou's comments sought to single out the Jewish community in Cyprus.

Infrastructure Development

Beyond residential developments, Israeli institutions are establishing infrastructure in Cyprus. The Yael Foundation is funding a flagship Jewish school for up to 1,500 pupils in Polemidia, Limassol, due to open in 2027. Critics note that the school's developer, Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler, has described it as a Zionist school. Questions have been raised about the permitting process, with reports suggesting the municipality was not consulted.

Hadassah, one of Israel's largest hospital groups, opened its first European medical center in Limassol in July. Meanwhile, businessman Uriel Kertesz has purchased an estimated 70-80 percent of the abandoned village of Trozena in western Cyprus, which lies in a protected area. Journalist Yiannis Pazouros reported that Kertesz paid double or triple market value and proceeded without necessary permits, though Al Jazeera cannot independently confirm these claims.