Peres. To visit Argentina
צילום: AP
Peres' security tightened for fear of protests in Argentina
Source in president's entourage in South America tells Ynet pro-Palestinian demonstrators may try to cause provocations in place he is scheduled to visit. One of planned events may be relocated
BRASILIA - A year after pro-Palestinian protestors disrupted Shimon Peres' speech at Oxford University in Britain, sources in the president's entourage fear his current visit to South America will be sabotaged once again by hostile elements. The security around the president is expected to be tightened and one of the events he is expected to take part in may be relocated.
Peres, who is currently in Brazil, is scheduled to arrive in Argentina on Sunday. There, his associates fear, he may be faced with unpleasant sights.
A source in the president's entourage told Ynet on Wednesday night that "there is a fear that pro-Palestinian protestors will try to cause provocations in the places the president will visit. It's possible that nothing will happen in the end, but we definitely won't be surprised if it happens."
Ynet has learned that one of the events the president is scheduled to attend may be moved to a different location for fear of an anti-Israel rally in the area. "A final decision on the matter has yet to be made," said a source in the entourage, "but the plan is definitely to change the location to a different place which could be secured better."
The source noted that another marginal consideration for changing the location is the increase in the number of people expected to come to listen to Peres' speech.
For fear of protests, the source said, the security around Peres will be beefed up by the local police as well. The official noted that the Argentinean police were fully cooperating with the president's security needs.
Power outages may change schedule
Apart from street protests Peres may be greeted with, there is another fear that his speeches will be interrupted. The source said, however, that "the chance of this happening is low, as the people participating in the events are closely selected by the local Jewish communities.The recent power cut in Brazil which has affected millions did not disrupt the president's agenda, but the members of his entourage are preparing for the possibility that his itinerary may have to be changed. Peres is scheduled to fly to Sao Paolo on Thursday, and his associates have already come up with an alternative plan in case the power outages in the city continue.
The president's entourage includes quite a few businesspeople from Israel, who according to once of the sources, "were forced to hold candlelight meetings."
Another incident which took place behind the scenes of the visit was the failure to invite one of the leaders of Brazil's Jewish community to Peres' meal with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. According to sources involved in the matter, the reason appears to be an article published by the man about the Brazilian leader's relations with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Elements in the Jewish community even considered boycotting the event over the incident, but the matter was eventually solved following the intervention of sources in the Israeli Embassy in Brazil.
