How can acids and bases exhibit their acidic or basic character in benzene or other non polar solvents?

See when an acid like HCl is present in water, there is sort of bridge created between the H and Cl as the H+ ions of water get attracted towards Cl- ions and OH- get attracted towards H+ ions of HCl. which means that the H+ ions can be liberated only in the presence of solvents that dissociate like water , then how can the acids show their acidity in non polar solvents??