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Planned activities include planting trees, laying a kindergarten cornerstone, repairing damaged wells, peacefully contesting illegal settlement construction, and engaging Palestinians other ways. Their mission is peace and solidarity, not confrontation and violence.
At issue is how many actually will arrive. Israel's going all out to block them. Airlines agreed to go along, Air France, Lufthansa, and Easyjet among them.
Israel sent them lists of likely travelers. It directed reservations and issued tickets be cancelled. Airlines dutifully complied. Reasons affected travelers got are spurious. Some plan legal action in response.
Bethlehem based Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh said Israel supplied airlines with hundreds of names along with a letter. It falsely claimed they planned provocations on arrival. Airlines know better. Nonetheless, they went along.
Those managing to arrive will be welcomed by dozens of Israeli activists. In a notice published Saturday, they said they await them with "welcome signs" and "open arms."
They'll also inhospitably face hundreds of Israeli security forces. They plan less than gracious greetings. They'll be accosted, interrogated, detained and deported. Some may be treated more harshly. Israel's a serial abuser. Nothing's too extreme in its arsenal. No one's immune from targeting.
In a letter Haaretz obtained, Amnon Shmueli from the Interior Ministry's Population and Immigration Authority said:
"In light of statements by radical pro-Palestinian activists indicating that they intend to arrive on commercial flights from abroad, in order to disturb the peace and confront security forces at Ben Gurion International Airport and at other points of friction, it has been decided to forbid their entrance, in accordance with my authority according to the Law of Entry to Israel."
As a result, he directed European airlines "not to board them onto Israel-bound flights." He threatened punitive actions against airlines unwilling to comply. He said failing "to uphold this directive is liable to lead to leveling of sanctions against" offenders.
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