A protest took place on Wednesday morning outside the venue of the ‘Doing Business with Israel’ conference, organised by the national investment promotion agency Invest Cyprus in Nicosia.

The demonstration was organised by several groups, including United for Palestine Cyprus, Far Right Watch and Genocide Free Cyprus, among others.

Protesters held banners in Greek and English, expressing support for Palestinians and condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza. They called on the Cypriot government to end its cooperation with Israel.

In a statement, the organisers claimed that “complicity in the genocide of Palestinians is essentially the official policy of the current government”, adding that this stance is rarely challenged by mainstream media.

It also demanded a halt to all trade and business agreements with Israel, as well as a boycott, divestment, and sanctions, calling for an end to the use of Cypriot ports, airports, and airspace for military assistance to Israel.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), United for Palestine Cyprus representative Markos Oikonomou said that “Cyprus should not be involved in any form of cooperation with Israel”.

He criticised the government’s shift since 2011 towards greater economic, military, and geopolitical ties with Israel, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean hydrocarbons sector.

Oikonomou argued that the cooperation “has made Cyprus complicit in the situation in Gaza”.

He finally urged the government to end all military and economic alliances with Israel, stating that the Great Sea Interconnector project is an attempt by Israel to assert dominance in the region.