The placement of a Hebrew-language billboard on the Nicosia–Limassol motorway, near Zygi, featuring Israeli politician Gadi Eisenkot has sparked controversy.
Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and founder of the Yashar party, is seeking to strengthen his political profile amid developments in Israel and is seen as one of the potential contenders for the premiership against Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to a translation of the message, the billboard reads: “Israelis, enjoy yourselves. You deserve it.” The decision to place the advertisement in Cyprus is believed to be aimed at Israeli visitors or residents on the island. However, it has not been publicly clarified who commissioned the campaign, what its precise political context is, or whether it constitutes an official election initiative by Eisenkot himself or by his supporters.
The incident raises broader questions about the political targeting of diaspora communities and whether such campaigns fall within Cyprus’s existing regulatory framework for political advertising.
The appearance of an advertisement featuring a foreign political figure on a Cypriot motorway prompted discussion on social media. Among those who commented was MEP Fidias Panayiotou, who linked the choice of Cyprus to the number of Israelis living on or travelling to the island.
The incident also raises wider concerns about the use of outdoor advertising by foreign political figures, the targeting of diaspora communities and the extent to which such campaigns comply with Cyprus’s current rules on political advertising.
Eisenkot has publicly criticised Netanyahu over his handling of the war in Gaza and what he describes as the absence of a clear strategy. In his resignation letter from the war cabinet, he said the government had delayed taking critical decisions needed to achieve the war’s objectives and improve Israel’s strategic position.
Source: Κathimerini Cyprus
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