JERUSALEM — Israel dispatched a beefed-up security force to its main international airport Thursday and asked foreign airlines to prevent blacklisted travelers from boarding Tel Aviv-bound flights, ahead of the anticipated arrival of hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists.
The activists, who say their mission is peaceful, have placed Israel in an awkward position. Authorities seem torn between their determination to keep out people they consider hostile agitators and a sense they might be taking the bait en route to another public-relations debacle.
By Thursday evening, eight people had been blocked from boarding a flight in Paris. Israeli airport officials said they expected most of the arrivals today.
Israel has experienced a series of deadly run-ins with pro-Palestinian activists over the past year, both on the high seas and along the frontiers with Lebanon and Syria.
These clashes have drawn international criticism, and Israel appeared wary of being drawn into a new confrontation.
It remained unclear how many activists would be allowed into Israel on their way to the West Bank. Officials said they are not trying to prevent the activists from visiting the Palestinian area but are concerned about people with records of trouble or those who plan to take part in violent acts.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would show restraint but stressed it was a “basic right” for a country to block suspected provocateurs from entering.
“We have a restrained resolve to deal with provocations, to prevent disruptions of the public order,” he said during a trip to Bulgaria.
Activists accused Israel of a launching a smear campaign against them.
“This is a total circus by the Israeli authorities, who are painting us as criminals,” said French activist Olivia Zemor.
She said her group, called Welcome to Palestine, planned only nonviolent activities.
About 600 activists are expected to arrive at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport over the weekend, beginning late Thursday. They say they are on a week-long mission to express solidarity with the Palestinians and draw attention to life under Israeli occupation, including travel restrictions. Zemor said about half of the activists are French, ranging in age from 9 to 85. Others are expected to fly to Tel Aviv from other cities, including Geneva, London, Brussels and Istanbul.
The only way visitors can reach the West Bank is through Israeli-controlled crossings, either through international airports or the land border with Jordan. At any given time, hundreds of foreigners, including activists and aid workers, are in the West Bank.
Most Palestinians are barred from entering Israel or using its airport; they must travel to neighboring Jordan to fly out.
Travel restrictions in the blockaded Gaza Strip, run by the militant Hamas group, are even stricter. Israel allows few people to cross its border with Gaza. And with few exceptions, Gazans can travel abroad only by crossing into Egypt through their shared border.
