Pro-Palestinian protesters in Greek Cyprus demand end to cooperation with Israel

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - A group of pro-Palestinian protesters in the Greek Cypriot administration held a rally on Wednesday, demanding an immediate end to cooperation with Israel, local media reported.

The demonstration took place outside the venue of an Israeli-Greek Cypriot business conference. Several groups participated in the protest, according to the media reports.

Protesters, holding banners in both Greek and English, expressed solidarity with Palestinians and condemned ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, which have reportedly killed over 41,000 civilians, including women and children.

Calling on the administration to sever ties with Israel, demonstrators accused the Greek Cypriot leadership of complicity in what they described as the genocide of Palestinians. They demanded the immediate suspension of all trade and business agreements with Israel, and urged for a comprehensive boycott, divestment, and sanctions campaign.

The protesters also called for the closure of the administration’s ports, airports, and airspace to military assistance being sent to Israel.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Markos Oikonomou, a representative for the protesters, criticized the administration’s growing economic, military, and geopolitical ties with Israel since 2011, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean hydrocarbons sector. He argued that these relations have made the administration complicit in the violence in Gaza.

Oikonomou further highlighted concerns over the Great Sea Interconnector project, describing it as Israel's attempt to assert dominance in the region.

The project is aimed at creating an interconnection between Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration, and Israel, facilitating the transfer of electricity across the three.