By Andrea Tucci,
Today in Cyprus, the so-called “golden visa” is granted to non-EU citizens who invest at least € 300.000 in real estate or company shares.
In this regard, the Secretary General of AKEL (Progressive Party of Working People, the largest opposition party in Cyprus) has warned that Israelis are buying land in Cyprus illegally and without permits.
“Israelis are creating ghettos, establishing schools and synagogues; a targeted and organized acquisition of key economic centers and vast areas of land in Larnaca, Limassol, and Paphos, where gated communities are being formed, part of a strategic plan to acquire economic hubs and sensitive zones near critical infrastructure such as military installations, ports, and tourist areas.”
Large Israeli companies have acquired extensive coastal lots. Projects such as Horizon Tower by S.L. Investment, which includes four towers with about 600 apartments, commercial centers, pools, spas, and green areas, and AQUA Residences, a € 40 million project by Solvin Ltd, involve the construction of two towers of 15–20 stories with spa, gym, and swimming pool, 155 parking spaces and 114 apartments. These developments reflect a real urban transformation, largely inaccessible to anyone who is not an Israeli citizen.
One local interviewee stated:
“The local population is well aware of this phenomenon. If you go to Larnaca, Limassol, or Paphos, people will tell you about specific areas where this is happening, but the authorities ignore it. It is essential to protect our land and ensure that Cyprus remains forever in the hands of the Cypriots.”
Between 2021 and January 2025, 1.406 property purchases by Israelis were registered in Larnaca, of which 481 include title deeds.
The Cypriot daily Politis reported that the number of Zionist Jews in the country has reached 15.000, and that the Chabad group is actively operating in the area.
According to Politis, Chabad manages six houses, a synagogue, a kindergarten, a mikveh (a Jewish ritual bath), a kosher certification center, a cemetery, and summer activity centers. It plays a significant role in the cultural and religious reconversion of secular or non-practicing Jews.
Chabad (an acronym in Hebrew encompassing three words: Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge) is described in the article as an extremist Zionist organization that strictly follows Jewish law (halakhah), denies the existence of Palestinians, promotes their expulsion from occupied Palestine, and opposes any agreement that would grant Palestinians any part of the land.
This would appear to indicate that Israel is consolidating a stable, strategic, and structured presence in Cyprus, almost treating it as a territorial, logistical, and cultural extension close to its borders.
As the AKEL Secretary says: “Israel is preparing it’s own backyard in Cyprus.”
– Photo of the article: AQUA Residences project –
