Eisenkot election billboard in Cyprus vandalized with Palestinian flag colors

ByYOAV ETIELJULY 31, 2026 17:12Updated: JULY 31, 2026 17:39A Yashar party election billboard in Cyprus featuring former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot was vandalized on Friday after unidentified individuals sprayed it with the colors of the Palestinian flag and covered Eisenkot’s face with blood red paint, the Cyprus Mail reported.The billboard was placed near Larnaca Airport as part of the party’s campaign ahead of Israel’s Knesset election. The incident came days after the signs sparked public controversy in Cyprus and prompted local politicians to call for foreign countries to be barred from conducting political campaigns in the country.The vandalized billboard was one of two signs placed near the airport as part of Eisenkot’s campaign. One faces Israelis arriving in Cyprus and reads, “Israelis, enjoy yourselves! You deserve it,” while the other, located on the road leading back to the airport, tells them, “Come back and win.”The billboards had already sparked controversy in Cyprus earlier in the week, according to the newspaper. Independent member of the European Parliament Fidias Panayiotou strongly criticized the presence of a foreign country’s election campaign in Cyprus and called for legislation that would prohibit political advertising by countries that are not members of the European Union.The signs also prompted debate on social media and within the Cypriot political establishment over the impact of the growing Israeli presence on the island.Yisrael Party chairman Gadi Eisenkot (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)Cypriot politician and European Parliament member Fidias Panayiotou condemns foreign election advertisingCypriot politician and European Parliament member Fidias Panayiotou expressed concern about the billboards in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.“This photo was not taken in Israel, but in my country, Cyprus. This time it is political propaganda, but it is also becoming increasingly common to see billboards advertising real estate in Hebrew across the island.”“This is simply not right. We must defend Cyprus's sovereignty,” Panayiotou concluded.Cypriot law currently does not prohibit a foreign political party from purchasing advertising space in the country. However, according to the report, this is the first known case in Cyprus in which a foreign political party has conducted an election campaign using billboards in the country.The unprecedented nature of the campaign made the issue particularly sensitive, and the vandalism now appears to represent a protest against the signs.Eisenkot's campaign is expected to expand into other countries throughout the summerEisenkot's office informed The Jerusalem Post that the campaign is expected to expand into other countries throughout the summer. They emphasized that the initiative aims to convey a positive message to Israelis about achieving victory in the elections.Israel's elections are slated for October 27.Shoshana Baker and Keshet Neev contributed to this report.Follow us on Google