Opposition parties raise concerns over new pro-Israel parliamentary group

A political controversy has emerged in Cyprus following the establishment of a cross-party group by MPs from DISY, DIKO, and ELAM in collaboration with the Israel Allies Foundation (IAF) and Transatlantic Friends of Israel. The group held a launch event in a parliamentary hall, which sparked a formal inquiry from AKEL parliamentary spokesperson Giorgos Loukaides to House President Annita Demetriou.

AKEL has demanded full transparency regarding the approval process for using parliamentary facilities, noting that a leaders' meeting on October 8 had previously reaffirmed that such spaces are reserved strictly for parliamentary or party activities. Loukaides questioned the funding sources, the nature of commitments undertaken by the participating MPs, and whether the group violates the parliamentary code of conduct concerning conflict of interest and the promotion of third-country interests. The Volt party has also publicly condemned the move, labeling it as the "institutionalization of foreign lobbies" within the legislature and urging the participating MPs to withdraw.

Demands have been made for the House Ethics Committee to investigate the matter and for the establishment of a clear regulatory framework for similar groups to ensure disclosure of funding and resource usage. Discussions regarding these events remain ongoing within the legislature, with calls to add the issue to the agenda for the next meeting of party leaders.