Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar gesture to supporters during a rally marking the 30th anniversary of Hamas’ founding, in Gaza City, Dec. 14, 2017. Photo: Reuters / Mohammed Salem.

On or around March 30, 2018 — to commemorate what they call “Land Day”– Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are preparing for “the great return march.”

During this event, more than 100,000 people are expected to march to the Israeli border to raise awareness about the so-called right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their ‘original’ homes. Hamas and other terrorist organizations have announced their support for the march — and have called on their followers to participate.

As Arab media outlets have reported: “Palestinian refugees will hold peaceful marches towards Israel in a mass movement to force a return to their homeland.” In a previous March of Return, “more than a hundred Palestinians from Syria managed to breach the Israeli border fence and enter Israel.” These reports also state that the purpose of the march is to “promote a one-state solution.”

Terrorist organizations and their supporters plan to march to the borders of Israel with 100,000 people — some of whom might intend to storm the borders. They will all proclaim that the Jewish state should not exist.

Against this backdrop, organizations funded by the radical New Israel Fund (NIF) are sadly assisting the oragnizers of the march — and sympathizing with them. This is simply shameful.

In the past, Adalah — an NIF-funded organization — protested the fact that Israel would not grant permits for the march, noting, “The police decision is very strange and raises concerns that the refusal to approve the event is politically motivated.”

And +972 Magazine, which is funded in part by the New Israel Fund, has featured columns supporting the march, and the Palestinian “right of return” in general.

GISHA — another NIF-funded organization — is very active in promoting the march. Its recent press release noted that: “First and foremost, Israel must respect Gaza residents’ right to freedom of movement.”

Is this the purpose of the New Israel Fund — an organization that claims to be pro-Israel?

The NIF must urge the organizations that it funds to stand with Israel, and the soldiers who will protect the country from the Palestinian marchers. The NIF must stand with the IDF — not with Hamas.

Ronn Torossian is a public relations executive.