With their sea flotilla so far proving to be a sinking disappointment, Palestinian activists are moving ahead with plans to converge on Ben Gurion Airport to create a media circus.
Dr. Paul Larudee explains the modus operendi: On July 8, activists and Palestinian refugees holding foreign passports will converge on Israel’s international airport from countries whose citizens don’t need entry visas for Israel — including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, South Africa.
The point: highlighting the “right” of return.
Larudee’s event is impressively planned out: day-trippers will be interviewed before boarding their flights; the interviews will be released to media when the flyers arrive to an airport no doubt swarming with police, human rights lawyers, journalists, and innocent travelers who chose the wrong day to book a flight.
Malam sheds light on the other groups involved in the action — for their own publicity:
The various groups and networks regard the displays as an alternative and counterweight to the flotilla currently being organized, whose goal (“lifting the siege of the Gaza Strip”) they regard as “too narrow” (their goals is “lifting the siege from all Palestine”) . . .
In our assessment, the planned propaganda displays at Ben-Gurion Airport are also a result of internal competition between the organizations and activists participating in the campaign to delegitimize Israel. Some of the organizations may regard it as an opportunity to stand in the international media spotlight by proposing an innovative initiative which will embarrass Israel and overshadow the flotilla project.
Only in Israel could international protesters have a chance of pulling off a stunt like this. Imagine pro-democracy activists trying something similar at, say, Damascus International Airport.
