The Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com) reports that Israel is getting ready for a PR battle to explain how the security fence stops Palestinian terrorism:

927 Israelis, representing victims of Palestinian terrorism, will soon demonstrate in the Hague to support the anti-terror fence

A total of 927 Jewish students from Israel and abroad will represent all the victims of Palestinian terror attacks since September 2000 when they demonstrate outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague next week while arguments are being heard against the security fence. [...]

Each of the 927 demonstrators will hold a placard detailing the identity of a terror victim and his life story. The Israeli members of the group were briefed at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

The shell of the Jerusalem bus No. 19 that was blown apart by a suicide bomber last month, killing 11 people, was being prepared on Tuesday for shipping to The Hague as part of Israel's PR effort.

For more information on Israel's security fence, click here. I copy the full article below.

Israel readies for PR blitz in The Hague
By NINA GILBERT, Feb. 17, 2004, Link

A total of 927 Jewish students from Israel and abroad will represent all the victims of Palestinian terror attacks since September 2000 when they demonstrate outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague next week while arguments are being heard against the security fence.

Foreign Ministry Deputy Director-General for Public Affairs Gideon Meir presented Israel's plan to win the PR battle outside the court in a meeting Tuesday with the Knesset's subcommittee on foreign relations and information.

The aim of Israel's program is to "make the Palestinians regret the day they ever sent the matter to the court," Meir told the committee, which gave its support for the ministry's information plan.

Each of the 927 demonstrators will hold a placard detailing the identity of a terror victim and his life story. The Israeli members of the group were briefed at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

The shell of the Jerusalem bus No. 19 that was blown apart by a suicide bomber last month, killing 11 people, was being prepared on Tuesday for shipping to The Hague as part of Israel's PR effort.

The court authorities have designated separate days for Israeli and Palestinian demonstrations in order to avoid friction. The Israeli group is expected to be allotted next Tuesday for its demonstration and possibly another day.

According to Meir, Israel's sole message at the demonstrations is that the "fence stops terror." Israel has submitted written arguments to the court, but decided against taking part in the oral arguments, against the advice of Justice Minister Yosef Lapid.

In its written arguments, Israel claimed that the court does not have the authority to consider the matter.

The court has been asked by the UN General Assembly to issue an advisory opinion on the legality of the security fence that is being constructed in the West Bank.

A delegation of parliamentary assistants from political parties on the Left and Right is also being dispatched to The Hague to handle the media. A number of families of terror victims are also to be included in the delegation of demonstrators.

Another group, called the Civil Coalition, has organized flights to The Hague at a cost of $240 a person. Shahar Ervin said that about 50 people are to take part in the group's mission to protest the "unilateral decision of the UN to discuss the fence." The participants are paying the entire cost of their trip themselves, he said.

Posted by David Melle
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