Paris beach event celebrates Tel Aviv, amid extra security and criticism

Tel Aviv sur Seine will be held at “Paris Plage”, a simulated beach the city sets up in the summer.

Despite attempts byBDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), the group which is promoting a boycott of Israel, to thwart an initiative by Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo todedicate an artificial beach in Paris to Tel Aviv, the event will take place as scheduled on Thursday.

The airline previously operated flights to Israel as part of its charter service more than a decade ago and now, following a recent in-depth review of its scheduled network, the airline will be flying to Tel Aviv and Ovda – the gateway to Eilat. This time some 300 police will be on duty in the area devoted to Tel Aviv between two bridges near Paris’s Notre Dame cathedral from 10 a.m.to 10 p.m. (0800 GMT-2000 GMT) on Thursday, the one day dedicated to the Israeli city in the month-long festival.

Last year Paris was rocked by riots as several pro-Palestinian protests descended into violence as the conflict in Israel spilled over into France.

Paris City Councilor Danielle Simonnet, who belongs to the Left Party (Parti de Gauche), slammed the Paris municipality’s plan to honour the Israeli city.

“It is out of the question to allow such an immoral event to go ahead in a public space”, the organisation said in a statement, adding that it was “not about religion but about global law, human rights and human dignity”.

The pro-Palestinian group CAPJPO-Europalestine has called for protests of the event if it is not cancelled.

“How can you refer to the sweetness of Tel Aviv without mentioning the fact that West Bank Palestinians have no access to Gaza beaches?”

The French daily Le Figaro reported that the city is planning to mobilize four additional mobile police units and nearly double the number of officers that were originally planned to secure the event, noting that the extra manpower would serve as backup in case of unrest. For him it has clear “hints of anti-Semitism” and the defence of the event from the Socialist mayor of Paris, Ann Hidalgo, is not enough.

On Tuesday, Julliard told French radio RMC: “We are inviting a city, we are not endorsing the policy of a state”.

Monarch chief executive Andrew Swaffield said: “Tel Aviv and Ovda are growing in popularity once more with tourists and with the diverse offerings of both these destinations we are sure they will be a very popular choice for winter short breaks and holidays”.

“We will not let an entire population be punished for its government’s colonialist policy”, he insisted.

Since 2007, Israel and Egypt have blockaded the Gaza Strip by land, sea and air.