The election billboard of the Israeli Yashar party with a portrait of Gadi Eizenkot, installed near the highway in the Zigi area on the way to Larnaca, does not fall under Cypriot law. On July 27, 2026, this was confirmed by both the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Advertising Control Commission.

The shield has inscriptions in Hebrew. On the one hand: “Israelis, enjoy your vacation, you deserve it.” On the other, addressed to those who are going back to the airport: “Did you have a rest? Now we’re going back and winning.” Eisenkot’s headquarters confirmed that the billboards are an official part of the election strategy and are designed for Israelis vacationing in Cyprus. The second billboard was spotted on the Larnaca—Nicosia highway, at the Rizoelia interchange.

The first to publicly react was Cypriot MEP Fidias Panagiotou, who founded the Cyprus Direct Democracy party in October 2025. In a video on social media, he called what was happening “particularly disturbing”: according to him, the very fact of such advertising shows that there are enough Israelis on the island for the campaign to consider it justified. Panayiot proposed to adopt a law prohibiting the election campaigns of third countries in government-controlled territory.

Cyprus agencies have not found how to regulate the billboard

The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that the content of billboards does not fall within its competence: the department does not have a legal framework for regulating election or any other advertising. A source in the ministry added that this is not about the elections of the Republic of Cyprus, so the department cannot have a position.

The Advertising Control Commission, a private self—regulatory organization that has been operating since 2012, replied that there is currently no framework for the content of commercial billboards. The decision remains with the owners of the structures, if the advertisement does not violate the advertising codes.

Niche Advertising, which owns the billboard, stated that it does not support Eisenkot and his party politically, and sold the advertising space as a regular commercial placement. The company referred to the practice of Turkish election campaigns in Germany and insisted that the law does not prohibit this. After a flurry of comments on social media, the company closed the discussion under its publications.

Why do Israelis need to return home for the sake of a voice?

The meaning of the second slogan is explained by Israeli suffrage: there is no absentee voting for ordinary citizens in the country. You can only vote at a polling station in Israel itself, exceptions are made for diplomats, government officials and some merchant seamen. At the same time, there are about 500,000 Israelis abroad with the right to vote — and everyone who wants to use it needs a ticket home.

The elections are scheduled for October 27, 2026, the deadline allowed by Israeli law; the Knesset closed in mid—July. The campaign is perceived as a referendum on confidence in Benjamin Netanyahu. There are about 6.8 million voters in the country. The turnout is expected to exceed 70%, as it was in the last election, when 4.8 million people voted. The Yashar party, founded by Eisenkot on September 16, 2025, is on par with or slightly ahead of Likud in recent polls.

No one knows the exact number of Israelis in Cyprus.

Estimates vary: according to unofficial data, from 15 to 20 thousand Israelis live on the island, but there is no exact accounting — many have a second citizenship or are not registered as permanent residents. Thousands of those who come for the summer are added to them. The appearance of the billboards coincided with a long-standing discussion about the growth of the Israeli presence and the purchase of real estate and land in Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca.

Will there be such billboards in other countries?

According to Israel Hayom, Eisenkot’s headquarters is considering the possibility of extending this campaign format to other countries popular with Israeli tourists. There have been no publicly documented examples of a foreign party campaigning in Cyprus so far. Panayiotou urged to pay more attention to Cyprus’ relations with Israel and other countries outside the EU: according to him, guarantees are needed so that the island does not find itself in a disadvantageous political or geostrategic position in the future.

https://lenta.cy/kipr-ne-vprave-zapretit-izrailskuju-politicheskuju-reklamu-na-svoej-territorii/