The launch of a local chapter of the Israel Allies Foundation (IAF), an international organization promoting ties with Israel, has ignited a fierce political row in Cyprus.
Six lawmakers from the center-right Disy, centrist Diko, and nationalist Elam parties announced the new parliamentary group.
The controversial move follows the creation of a local Transatlantic Friends of Israel chapter just two weeks prior. The main left-wing opposition party, Akel, fiercely attacked the initiative. Akel labeled the development extremely provocative and entirely unprecedented in the island’s legislative history. Opposition leaders accused the participating politicians of actively transforming the house into a dedicated lobby for Israel.
Severe geopolitical accusations fly in Nicosia
Akel questioned how backing Israel aligns with the island’s ongoing diplomatic struggle against the Turkish occupation. The opposition argued that Cyprus loses international credibility when it supports what it labeled an occupying and settler state. Akel specifically cited the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories.
The party highlighted a September 2025 finding by the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry regarding genocide in Gaza. Opposition members also criticized President Nikos Christodoulides for receiving the foundation’s leadership and allowing cabinet ministers to attend the launch.
Funding denials amid historical controversy
The Israel Allies Foundation operates as an international non-profit network with active groups in 68 global parliaments.
Orthodox rabbi Benny Elon originally founded the prominent advocacy organization back in 2007. Elon gained international notoriety in the radical settler movement for favoring the annexation of occupied territories. Today, the network actively works to mobilize faith-based political support for Israel worldwide.
Amid the intense public backlash, Diko lawmaker Chrysis Pantelides strongly defended the independent parliamentary group. Pantelides confirmed that he personally paid for all food and drinks at the initial launch event. He strictly rejected any allegations regarding foreign monetary compensation or secret financial exchanges with the foundation.
Finally the centrist lawmaker emphasized that defense cooperation with Israel already provides significant hardware support to the Cypriot National Guard, police, and fire brigades. Pantelides also rejected comparisons to the Cypriot problem, claiming a Palestinian state had never historically existed.
In response to Pantelides’ remarks, the Palestinian Ambassador to Cyprus, Abdallah Attari, issued a stinging public rebuke, calling the lawmaker’s statements a profound historical blunder. Attari questioned how an elected official from an occupied country like Cyprus could so easily dismiss another nation’s occupation, asking, “Is occupation so simple and trivial to you?”
He reminded Pantelides that the Republic of Cyprus itself has long officially recognized the State of Palestine, rendering the lawmaker’s dismissal of Palestinian statehood legally and historically inaccurate. AKEL expanded its criticism, drawing a sharp parallel to the Cypriot problem. The opposition party counterargued that minimizing foreign occupation severely damages Cyprus’s international credibility, stripping the country of its moral authority to demand global pressure against the Turkish occupation of its own northern territory.
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