"sun in Tel Aviv, fire in Gaza,"

Israelis and pro-Palestinian activists are reportedly facing one another on opposite banks of Vienna's Donaukanal River in a fight for public opinion in the Austrian capital.

The right bank, opposite the Stadioncenter, boasts Tel Aviv Beach ? an ambitious Israeli PR project which the Israeli embassy launched earlier this month to bring a taste of Israel's beach culture to the Viennese public.

However, the Tel Aviv Beach drew resistance from pro-Palestinian and Muslim group. Their activists say they had opened "Gaza Beach" opposite Tel Aviv Beach, in an attempt to link Israel with what they regard as the use of excessive force against Palestinians.

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The Israeli chamber of commerce in Vienna received permission for the opening of the Tel Aviv Beach from the Mayor of Vienna to honor Tel Aviv's centennial celebrations this year. The beach, complete with white sand, was opened to the public on May 10.

According to Guy Feldman, deputy chief of mission at the embassy, who created the Tel Aviv Beach concept, the pro-Palestinian protests happened only on the opening day, when some 150 people turned up with black balloons and a truck with a sound system.

"Tel Aviv Beach is a great success, which has so far drawn at least 20,000 revelers to an upbeat event which shows Israel other face," Feldman told Haaretz. "The pro-Palestinian protests are only helping advertise our beach in the media."

Gaza Beach was launched in protest of what organizers called "the obscene Tel Aviv Beach," by organizations such as Women in black, the anti-imperialist movement and Austrian-Arab associations.

An announcement by the organizers said their actions were planned for the whole summer and will "disturb the Israeli beach ambience."

The announcement, under the banner "sun in Tel Aviv, fire in Gaza," went on to say that "a strong performance" will be staged in June at Vienna's Gaza Beach, with a street theater group from France playing a play entitled "Checkpoint."

The organizers also said they planned to display a military vehicle "transformed into an Israeli prison with photos and films from the last barbaric Israeli offensive in Gaza."