Israeli attacked in Cyprus after being heard speaking Hebrew

An Israeli man who was assaulted in Cyprus and left with potentially life-changing injuries was attacked after he was overheard speaking Hebrew, according to Israeli media reports.

The young man, who has not been named, was reportedly near the entrance of the hotel where he was staying when he was approached and asked where he was from. He did not answer them, but a few minutes later took a phone call and started speaking in Hebrew, after which he was attacked and beaten unconscious, suffering severe injuries to one of his eye sockets. It is understood that the injured man has since returned to Israel, where he has had emergency surgery to try and save his eye.

According to an account by a family member published by Israel Hayom, the Israeli consulate in Cyprus did not engage at all with the incident.

“We contacted the relevant authorities. We also contacted the Israeli consulate, and the response we received was: ‘Sunday – we’re off.’ Just like that.

“When an Israeli citizen is wounded, abroad, after a violent attack, the system simply isn’t available, there’s no taking responsibility, no response, no sense of backing. If this was your son – you wouldn’t be silent. Such violence and such indifference cannot pass quietly.”

The reports of the attack came at the same time as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a summit in Jerusalem with the leaders of both Greece and Cyprus, announcing a further strengthening of the ties between the three nations.

“To those who fantasize they can re-establish their empires and their dominion over our lands, I say, forget it. It’s not going to happen – don’t even think about it,” Netanyahu said, in a clear reference to Turkey and its President Erdogan, who has made little secret of his close investment in lands that were once controlled by the Ottoman empire, Turkey’s precursor.