Silent occupation: Israeli settlers flocking to Cyprus as wars on Gaza, Lebanon rage

A sharp rise in Israeli settlers' migration to Cyprus has sparked concerns, with many seeking to purchase properties, including home and land, as settlers are leaving the occupied territories en masse amid fallout of Israel's wars on Gaza and Lebanon.

Dimitri Lascaris, an activist journalist, in his recent report revealed a considerable surge of Israelis traveling to Cyprus Island to “buy anything in sight” following the recent war in Gaza, and the escalating crisis in the region.

“What I found were secretive, luxurious resorts that cater to and pamper affluent Israelis” while Tel Aviv “inflicts a genocide on the Palestinian people,” said Lascaris in his report.

Lascaris highlighted that the connection between Zionism and Cyprus dates back nearly to the inception of the Zionist movement. At the Third Zionist Congress in 1899, David Trietsch presented the notion that the Jewish state envisioned by Theodor Herzl could first be established in Cyprus.

“Jews shouldn’t seek refuge in lands favorable for European settlement, as they would encounter resistance in every such country. They also won’t be able to efficiently settle in tropical regions. Given these conditions, Cyprus is the most suitable location for Jewish settlement. While the island isn’t a magnet for European settlers, its climate is suitable for Europeans, and notably, it is in close proximity to Israel, serving as a gateway to it,” Trietsch said.

Though the proposal for the establishment of a Jewish state in Cyprus was officially removed from the Zionist agenda, Herzl did not forget it. "We would gather on the island, and one day travel to the Land of Israel and reclaim it by force, just as it was taken from us," Herzel had said.

In 2018, the Jewish population of Cyprus was estimated at around 6,500, however in April 2024, the number was significantly increased, according to Israel's KAN public news channel indicating that the Israeli community alone has reached 12,000.

The current monthly growth rate is around 250 to 300 individuals, meaning more than 3,000 Israelis annually relocate to Cyprus.

The report outlines three distinct waves of Israeli migration to the island: the first during the COVID pandemic, the second triggered by political turmoil in Israel related to so-called judicial reforms in 2023, and the third occurring in late 2023 to early 2024 in the aftermath of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Sharp rise in Israeli settlers leaving occupied territories: Israeli newspaper

A recent report has revealed a sharp increase in the immigration of Israeli settlers from occupied territories abroad since the start of the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

Silent Occupation

The significance of this issue stems from several key factors, notably Cyprus’s geopolitical context, its proximity to the occupied territories and its membership in NATO. Additionally, the recent discovery of gas reserves has further enhanced the region's value, underscoring its importance on the global stage.

Another important issue is that a significant UK military base, which plays a crucial role in supporting Israel's genocide, is situated on the island of Cyprus. According to Lascaris' report, numerous warplanes and aircraft destined for attacks on Palestinians have been launched from the Akrotiri airbase.

Analysts use the term “silent occupation” since under the country’s laws, foreign firms can only purchase up to 500 square meters. However, if a company is at least 51 percent owned by Turkish Cypriot citizens, it can bypass this limit and acquire larger tracts of land.

This loophole has allowed Jewish companies to amass thousands of acres, as they register as Northern Cyprus entities, obscuring their Israeli identity and complicating the government's ability to track the extent of Israeli land acquisitions.

The high cost of living in Israel, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s so-called judicial reform law and the Israeli war on Gaza since October last year are considered to be the main reason of immigration from the occupied lands.

In a recent report by the Hebrew-language Maariv newspaper, the first seven months of the current year witnessed the immigration of 40,000 settlers, equivalent to three times the immigration rates before the brutal aggression, as 2,000 more people immigrate monthly compare to previous years.

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