A request to hold matches of two Israeli teams in Cyprus was rejected by the Justice Ministry for security reasons.
On Monday, November 20, Cyprian Justice Minister Anna Procopiou said that the security of citizens is the top priority. Therefore, a request to hold matches of two Israeli football teams was rejected, reports The Cyprus Mail.
“What comes first for the state is the safety of the citizens, and taking into account all the information, we decided that the requests for the football matches should not be met with a positive response,” Procopiou said.
The teams themselves had reportedly offered to pay the cost of extra security.
Procopiou added that heightened security measures are already being taken by the police after evaluating new evidence from foreign agencies about developments in the Middle East. She said security had been heightened in areas viewed as potential targets.
District units are being reinforced with more staff, and national guard officers are permanently stationed at the airports, and an operation of a new anti-terrorism police unit was confirmed, aimed at preventing attacks against both Palestinians and Israelis on the island.
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