Israeli election campaign billboards placed in Cyprus
For several weeks, large billboards from an Israeli election campaign have been displayed in Cyprus along highways connecting Larnaca International Airport with beach resorts. The Hebrew-language posters featuring former Israeli military chief and leader of the opposition Yashar party Gadi Eisenkot urge Israelis vacationing on the island to return home and vote in the October 27 election.
One poster carries the message: “Israelis, enjoy your vacation. You deserve it.” Another, located on the road to the airport, asks: “Rested? Had a good time? Now come back — and let’s win!” According to The National, the campaign was launched in the summer to engage Israeli voters who are abroad on vacation.
Reaction from residents and an MEP
The billboards sparked reactions in Cypriot media and on social networks. A Larnaca resident said the posters were “everywhere” and expressed outrage at their appearance. One image circulated on social media shows a damaged poster: Eisenkot’s face is covered in red paint, while the billboard bears colors associated with the Palestinian flag.
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Cypriot Member of the European Parliament Fidias Panayiotou called for the adoption of a law that would ban advertising by political parties participating in elections outside Cyprus. He also said that Hebrew-language advertising, including real estate advertisements, is appearing on the island increasingly often, and described this as an issue of protecting Cyprus’s sovereignty.
Gap in advertising regulation
According to Panayiotou, the proposed amendment would ban outdoor advertising that promotes, supports, or calls for voting for candidates or political parties participating in elections in other countries. At the same time, Cyprus’s Interior Ministry said that there is no legal framework within its remit to regulate election advertising or advertising in general. The self-regulatory advertising body Caro also said there are no rules governing the content of commercial billboards.
Niche Advertising, the company that leased the advertising space, described the campaign as a commercial agreement and said that the law does not prohibit such placements. The publication also reports that Israeli tourists accounted for one in five tourists in Cyprus in July, while Israelis’ demand for real estate was growing, including in Larnaca, Limassol, and Paphos.
