The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, regarded as the
open-source arm of the intelligence community, has warned of the prospect of
hundreds of pro-Hamas activists flying into Israel beginning on July 8. The center
said the so-called "Fly-In Action" was being organized by the U.S.-based
International Solidarity Movement, which failed in its attempt to send a
flotilla of ships to the Gaza Strip in June, Middle East Newsline reported.
"The organizers intend to use passive resistance if an attempt is made
to put them on planes to return them to their countries of origin, but past
experience has shown that passive resistance can deteriorate into violence,"
the Israeli center said on July 4.
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The center said the pro-Hamas activists were directed to arrive at
Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport and conduct what was termed a "mass propaganda
display" for the Palestinian demand to return to the homes of their
ancestors. The activists were also planning to reach the West Bank and
Jerusalem for additional anti-Israeli protests until July 16.
"Behind the propaganda and related events are dozens of networks and
groups in Judea and Samaria and abroad," the center said. "Most of them are
Palestinian organizations from the Palestinian territories which have been
joined by anti-Israeli American networks such as the International
Solidarity Movement and Al Awda."
The report said the fly-in could challenge Israeli authorities by
creating a "media circus." A major difficulty could be the refusal of the
pro-Hamas activists to reboard departure flights from Israel.
"In our assessment they are preparing themselves for the possibility and
have planned measures to make difficulties for Israel, for instance by
refusing to board return flights, receiving legal advice — including from
Israeli lawyers — and accompanying the events with a media campaign," the
center said. "We do not have concrete information about the practical status
of the plan. As in the past, discrepancies may appear between the plans and
the possibility of executing them."
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