The Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is promoting a boycott of Israel, tried again to thwart an Israeli initiative, this time in Paris.
On Thursday, one of the customary artificial beachs inaugurated in Paris in the summer will be branded as Tel Aviv on the Seine. Paris city council member Danielle Simonnet objected, saying in an interview on a local radio station that this was a positive public relations campaign by Israel, barely a year after what she called "the massacre committed by the IDF in Gaza."
Simonnet, supported by a pro-Palestinian organization, called for the event to be canceled, and a cancelation petition has been signed by 15,000 people to date. The Paris municipality is guaranteeing that the event will take place on the scheduled date, but no one knows what those coming to the location on that day will encounter.
On the other side, Senior Advisor to Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai on International Affairs Eytan Schwartz posted a message on Facebook calling for increased Israeli support saying, "So if we thought that the Tel Aviv beach event planned in Paris on Thursday would pass quietly, Israel-haters had other plans. The event is an example of wonderful cooperation with the Paris municipality for the creation of a free event in the open air to position Tel Aviv as a cool young destination. Our enemies in France didn't like that, and they flooded the social networks with calls for the Paris municipality to cancel the event. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, a true friend of Israel and a very brave politician, refused to surrender to the extremists. The event will take place as planned this Thursday, to the chagrin of all the opponents.
"As in too many cases in recent years, French Jews are in the middle. They are the ones suffering invective and derision every day, and are in the forefront of the defense of Israel and the promotion of its image all over the world. Create a Facebook page to support the event, and as a declaration of support for holding it, and especially support for Israel."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 11, 2015
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2015