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. "This is simply not right. 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.

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.

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.

Melanie Steliou, an actress and political activist, wrote: “Billboards advertising real estate in Hebrew have become the norm in Cyprus. At a time when concerns are growing over the large-scale purchase of land and property by Israelis in Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca, this image raises legitimate questions about the limits of foreign economic and political influence in the public space of the Republic of Cyprus.”

“Would anyone expect to see a campaign billboard for a Cypriot or Greek politician on a motorway in the UK, Germany, Spain or Ireland?” she added.

Alongside the increased Israeli presence in Cyprus, the two nations have been strengthening their political and security ties and focusing on economic relations, with a growing presence of Israeli real estate brokers and entrepreneurs on the island, particularly in Larnaca.

Cyprus also provides Israel with airspace for training exercises, and earlier this year the two countries deepened their military cooperation, along with Greece, in a trilateral deal.

As some Cypriot social media users expressed concern over what the campaign billboard may represent, frustration also spread across Hebrew-language social media posts, with some Israelis criticising Eisenkot for taking Israel’s political matters onto an international stage.

"This sign is... only fueling the conspiracy that Israel is 'conquering' Cyprus," said one user. "Take down the sign."

The Cyprus Mail reported that Niche Advertising, the group responsible for letting out the billboard to advertisers, said it did not politically endorse Eisenkot nor his party, adding that the space had been purchased as a commercial booking.

Growing popularity

Eisenkot, a former Israeli army chief and minister in Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet in 2023-2024, formulated the widely criticised Dahieh doctrine, named after Beirut's southern suburbs, which advises the use of disproportionate force against civilians and civilian infrastructure in areas where armed groups are alleged to operate. 

Eisenkot announced his election campaign as the leader of the Yashar party (meaning straight ahead in Hebrew) in June, promising to expand the Israeli army and criticising the “chaos” caused by the Israeli government in the wake of the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel by the armed wing of Hamas.

Israel raid of Gaza-bound flotilla near Cyprus sparks outrage

Read More »

He also promised to commission an inquiry into the attacks, a popular move among Israelis, and to push for universal enlisting in the military. This would include Palestinian citizens of Israel, who are generally not legally required to serve, and ultra-Orthodox Jews, overturning exemptions for Haredi men.

This has thrust Eisenkot into the top spot among Israeli voters, with a recent poll aired on Channel 12 revealing that 43 percent of respondents viewed him as the favourable candidate for prime minister, compared with 34 percent backing Netanyahu.

Yashar is predicted to win 23 seats in the Knesset, and Netanyahu’s Likud is forecast to win 22.

Haaretz reported last week that Netanyahu’s government was looking into finding ways to limit the number of Israelis living abroad from returning to the country for the October elections, amid concerns that they would vote for opposition parties.

As Netanyahu and his opposition fight over the future of Israel’s leadership, potential voters living abroad have become a key battleground. 

Middle East Eye reached out to Eisenkot and the High Commission of Cyprus in London for comment, but did not receive a response by time of publication.