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Protest Planned in Nicosia Against President Christodoulides' Upcoming Israel Visit

A coalition of individuals, organizations, and collectives has called for a protest outside the Presidential Palace this Friday evening, May 2nd, condemning President Nicos Christodoulides' scheduled visit to Israel. The demonstration, set for 7:00 PM, aims to voice strong opposition to the President's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and protest Cyprus's stance on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In their social media account organizers explicitly stated their "condemnation of the upcoming visit of Nicos Christodoulides to the wanted war criminal Netanyahu." They expressed "outrage at the continued support that the Christodoulides' government offers to the genocide of the Palestinian people." The protest announcement also affirms solidarity with "the just struggle of the Palestinian people for their right to freedom, self-determination and to remain on their land without colonial powers and occupying armies."

The protest's timing precedes President Christodoulides' confirmed visit to Israel on Sunday, May 4th. Government sources in Jerusalem, reported by ERTNews, indicated the visit is a preparatory step for an anticipated trilateral summit between Cyprus, Greece, and Israel later in May. This summit is expected to address heightened regional tensions and significant developments, particularly concerning energy cooperation in the southeastern Mediterranean.

However, protest organizers argue that meeting Netanyahu sends the wrong signal. They point to widespread accusations against the Israeli Prime Minister concerning alleged violations of international law in Gaza. These include the use of starvation as a weapon of war, the deliberate targeting of civilians, the deprivation of basic goods from the population of Gaza, and other acts described as potentially constituting "genocidal intent," which have resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, disproportionately affecting children.

Furthermore, the protest group highlights Cyprus's legal obligations as a signatory to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). They contend that Cyprus is bound to cooperate fully with the ICC, including potentially arresting and surrendering individuals subject to an ICC warrant. While no formal warrant against Netanyahu has been confirmed at the time of writing, the protesters argue that Christodoulides' decision to meet him "constitutes a circumvention of the requirement under international law to isolate persons criminally responsible for international crimes."

The organizers also invoke a 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), arguing the visit violates the obligation for states to refrain from actions that could "legitimize or prolong Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories." They specifically criticize the planned bilateral discussions, with energy cooperation as a key focus, as precisely the type of interaction the ICJ advises against. This engagement, they claim, contradicts UN recommendations urging states to review political and economic relations with Israel and consider sanctions to pressure an end to the occupation and what they term the apartheid regime.

The call to protest urges citizens to gather outside the Presidential Palace on Friday to demand "NOT IN OUR NAME," reinforce the message "NEVER AGAIN MEANS NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE," and call for a "FREE PALESTINE." The planned demonstration underscores deep divisions within Cyprus regarding its foreign policy alignment, particularly concerning Israel, amidst the devastating conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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