Israeli President Isaac Herzog visits Cyprus amid security measures and protests
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is visiting Cyprus on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the invitation of President Nikos Christodoulides. The two leaders are scheduled to hold a private meeting at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia followed by a working lunch to discuss the deepening of bilateral relations and regional developments. No public statements are planned following their discussions, and the president is expected to depart shortly thereafter.
The visit has prompted significant security measures across the Larnaca and Nicosia districts, with police implementing intermittent road closures between 09:00 and 16:00. This is the third visit by Herzog to the country since taking office, an event which diplomatic sources highlight as having particular geopolitical significance given the current tensions in the Middle East and the state of Turkey-Israel relations.
Opposition to the visit has surfaced from the Cyprus Peace Council and various anti-war organizations, who have organized a protest scheduled for 18:30 outside the Presidential Palace. Protesters characterize the visit as a provocation, citing Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, and have accused the Cypriot government of undermining regional stability and the efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem through its alignment with Israel.