(JNS) The reported purchase by an Israeli entrepreneur of roughly 70% of the homes in the deserted village of Trozena, Cyprus, has triggered a wave of false rumors and accusations, even as the buyer moves ahead with plans to develop an agritourism resort focused on quiet, sustainable tourism and has already begun construction work, a source familiar with the matter told JNS.
“The village was largely abandoned in the 1980s and 1990s because it was difficult to access,” the source said. “But the construction work sparked rumors that the village is now shut to visitors, that the local church will be demolished and that the area will become a closed Israeli community—some even describe it as a settlement.”
Despite denials from both the entrepreneur and local authorities, the rumors have generated significant controversy.
“If some parts of the village are temporarily inaccessible, it is for safety reasons because of the construction,” the source continued. “No church will be demolished and nobody was forced to sell their homes.”
According to the source, the controversy has struck a particularly sensitive nerve in Cypriot society, touching on concerns over foreign real estate investment, Israeli involvement on the island, national identity, the trauma of the Turkish occupation and fears of what some perceive as a potential demographic takeover.
The issue was amplified on social media by Fidias Panayiotou, the 26-year-old YouTuber-turned-politician who was elected to the European Parliament and is now preparing to contest Cyprus’s parliamentary elections on May 24.
Panayiotou, who has 2.7 million followers on YouTube—more than twice the population of Cyprus—posted a video captioned “Israelis buy Cyprus.” In the video, he criticized the island nation’s dependence on foreign investors, particularly Israelis, claiming some create insular communities in areas that no longer feel Cypriot.
He also accused the government of corruption and inadequate oversight, alleging that Israelis send their children exclusively to Israeli schools and warning that growing dependence on Israeli investors could eventually alter the island’s demographics and character.
“[Panayiotou] knows exactly what to say for people to understand the message he is implying,” the source told JNS. “It fuels antisemitism because it singles out a specific nationality and creates irrational fears about intentions.”
The source added that social media discourse has increasingly drawn comparisons between Israelis in Cyprus and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The word ‘settlement’ carries a very negative connotation in Cyprus because of the Turkish settlements in the northern part of the island,” the source said. “It creates a very toxic atmosphere, and this is a politician that opinion polls project could win around 10% of the vote.”
The war in Gaza and the way politicians use it politically have made anything related to Israel more emotionally charged and sensitive, the source said.
“If the project had been carried out by a German, Russian or British entrepreneur, it would not attract the same level of attention as an Israeli project,” the source said. “More broadly, it reflects Cypriot anxieties about foreign investment and rising real estate prices. There is a growing perception that foreigners are buying property at a pace and price locals cannot compete with, pushing Cypriots out of the housing market.”
The source pointed to Limassol, Cyprus’s second-largest city, which some locals increasingly view as no longer truly Cypriot because of the large number of foreign buyers.
“The trauma of the Turkish occupation adds another layer of sensitivity,” the source added. “Greek Cypriots still live with the memory of losing territory in 1974, so discussions about land being sold to foreigners and areas becoming inaccessible touch on extremely sensitive points in the Cypriot psyche.”
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