Protesters gather outside Presidential Palace over Herzog visit (photos)

Local gazaisrelNikos ChristodoulidesPalestineprotestTop Newswar Protesters gather outside Presidential Palace over Herzog visit (photos) C169de1c97aeb19f5df66c35bc19fd9c Relevant News Protesters gather outside Presidential Palace over Herzog visit (photos) 10 September 2026 €15.6m avenue plan sparks backlash over western Nicosia developments 10 September 2026 Cyprus ready to host Israel-Lebanon trilateral if asked, sources say 10 September 2026 Newsroom 10 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber A coalition of Cypriot and international activist groups is protesting outside the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on Thursday evening, condemning a meeting between President Nikos Christodoulides and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The protest began at 6:30 pm. Eight organisations signed the call for the demonstration: Genocide Free Cyprus, Far Right Watch Cy, Cyprus Palestine Solidarity Action, BDS Cyprus, Cyprus Peace Council, the Alliance against Far Right, Fascism and Racism, KISA and Voices for Palestine. In their statement, the coalition told Christodoulides directly: “Herzog is not welcome in Cyprus.” It is not the first time Herzog’s presence on the island has drawn organised opposition. His previous visit to Cyprus also prompted a protest outside the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, where demonstrators held banners declaring him “unwelcome” and chanted slogans including “Stop the genocide” and “No to imperialist wars.” Herzog was welcomed to Cyprus by Christodoulides on Thursday. According to the coalition, the talks are intended to address tensions between Israel and Turkey, which the statement called a threat, and to deepen military cooperation between Israel and Cyprus. The coalition noted that Israel faces genocide accusations from international organisations it considers credible, and that Israeli leaders are wanted for war crimes. It added that Israel is carrying out wars in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Iran. Israel views Cyprus as an increasingly important part of its regional strategy, the coalition said, noting that Herzog has previously described Cyprus as “essential” amid strategic shifts in the region and has pushed to expand defence, security and crisis-preparedness cooperation with Greece and Cyprus. The coalition said recent disclosures about the Achilles’ Shield defence system and the Great Sea Interconnector showed Israel retaining control and benefit while Greece and Cyprus bore the costs. The coalition also linked the visit to domestic politics in Israel and Turkey, saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was stoking tensions with Turkey ahead of Israel’s October elections, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was cultivating a similar dynamic for his own audience. It said Turkey combines pro-Palestinian rhetoric and a trade embargo on Israel with continued oil shipments to Israeli ports, citing a figure of 14.4 million barrels shipped from Turkish ports since Turkey announced a suspension of trade with Israel in 2024. The coalition accused Christodoulides of pursuing an arms race with Turkey and aligning with Israel to appease voters ahead of his re-election bid, saying this risked drawing Cyprus into a regional power struggle and undermining the island’s reunification process. It said money spent on arms purchases from Israel came at the expense of healthcare, education and welfare spending. The coalition’s stated demands are an end to what it described as Christodoulides’s manoeuvring for geopolitical advantage, and freedom and justice for Palestine. Read more: Cyprus ready to host Israel-Lebanon trilateral if asked, sources say Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News €15.6m avenue plan sparks backlash over western Nicosia developments Cyprus ready to host Israel-Lebanon trilateral if asked, sources say Queer Wave banners vandalised in Nicosia ahead of LGBTQIA+ film festival Israeli whistleblowers detail Gaza civilian toll in Venice film Milenko Stevanović’s Closely Observed opens at IN TOTO Gallery Hannah Rowan: Carriers Vakia Stavrou: Concert by the Walls Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.