A tree-planting ceremony involving the Jewish Community of Cyprus, a Vergina school in Larnaca and the Municipality has sparked considerable confusion and unease, prompting questions about how the event was framed and authorised, as well as its unexpected link to Donald Trump, a situation that may reflect broader Cypriot sentiments on the US role in peacemaking and the Middle East process.
According to the organisers, the Jewish Community of Cyprus in collaboration with OSI and Eitan Bar, the ceremony is being held “in honour of United States President Donald Trump, that caused the release of the Israeli hostages and signed the peace agreement.”
The event is also described as “a gathering of gratitude, unity and peace.”
presents the event as taking place
at the school, while the original request
submitted to the municipality, described
the event as an environmental initiative.
Sources within the Larnaca Municipality say that the request for permission was presented solely as a tree-planting and environmental initiative in an area next to the school. The leaflet distributed by the organisers suggests that the ceremony is taking place at the school itself, which has triggered strong reactions from parents. But the Ministry of Education told Politis to the point that "the Vergina School has nothing to do with the event".
The ceremony is scheduled for 23 November 2025 at 11:00, on Ioanni Kakridi Street, next to Vergina Lyceum in Larnaca. During the event, 48 trees are expected to be planted, presented as “symbols of life and hope.”
According to the Larnaca Municipality, the event will take place in the presence of Police.
However, reports and comments on social media indicate that residents and school parents initially believed the project was a straightforward environmental-awareness activity. The later revelation that the tree planting is intended as a tribute to Donald Trump, combined with the involvement of a local school and the impression of municipal endorsement, has generated frustration and disbelief.