Maariv journo Noam Sheizaf, who blogs at ‘Promised Land’ (!) has a couple more great posts on the Israeli cellphone ad question.
In this one he argues that a “big” ad like this one for Cellcom was most likely conceived and designed by high-ups in the advertising company– and that they would have designed it to appeal to the broadest possible zeitgeist in (Jewish) Israeli society.
He writes,
- although some people in Israel find this commercial to be in bad taste, even offending, the Israeli mainstream sees nothing wrong with it – in fact, some comments on the internet even regarded it as one that advocates peace, since instead of fighting, the soldiers and the (unseen) Palestinians are having fun playing soccer.
Indeed, commenter ‘Michael W’ tried to make exactly that argument here on JWN an hour or so ago. That, despite the facts that– as I noted in that same discussion– no Palestinians are ever visible in the ad at all; and if the ad does have any “Palestinian” references in the story-line, they are mainly that,
- 1. the Israeli soldiers are quite able to have a lot of fun playing with a soccer ball expropriated from the (quite invisible) Palestinians, and
2. since the soldiers are playing so very close to the Wall, they are most likely doing so on Palestinian land that has been expropriated from the Palestinians by the Wall.
But of course, the Palestinians and their misery remain invisible. Which of course was also one of the major goals Sharon had in building the Wall. As one commenter someplace has also noted, the Palestinians also remained completely unheard in the ad.
In this PL post, Sheizaf notes that the cellphone ad topic has gotten some interest in the Israeli blogosphere and elsewhere– including the WaPo. But not yet anywhere in the Israeli print media.
He also notes this:
- immediately after I offered jewlicious.com as an example of some American liberal Jews’ tendency to adopt and defend right-wing politics and extremely unliberal ideas when it comes to Israel, there was a post on the site describing the commercial as “cute”.
Volleyball “games” have been played over the Mexico / U.S. border to call media attention to the unjust nature of such a wall. Several years ago I suggested to my Israeli cousins that they do the same in Israel.
the Israeli soldiers are quite able to have a lot of fun playing with a soccer ball expropriated from the (quite invisible) Palestinians
Again, Helena, the soldiers did not expropriate the ball and presumably the Palestinians are also having fun (otherwise they wouldn’t have initiated the game!). Michael is absolutely correct and you are simply viewing this commercial with a jaundiced eye.
As to your second point, I don’t think that the average viewer really thinks that deeply.
You speak about empathy. I think that you have grown incapable of empathizing with Israelis (apart from your English-speaking, latte drinking middle-aged “friends”), which is really a shame.
You obviously can’t see the Palestinians like you can’t see the person you are talking to on the cellphone.
Like JES already pointed out, the soldiers didn’t keep the ball for themselves. The first thing they did was kick the ball back. Then when it was kicked across to the IDF soldiers again, they started a game.
I read an article once about a joint Israeli-Palestinian software company. One of the obstacles they face is the difficulty for them to meet each other. But with technology they can make confrence calls etc. There is nothing “offensive” with a company advertising technology which helps people overcome the obstacles they face everyday. These obstacles, such as the occupation and wall, aren’t things the general Israeli public want to maintain just because.
I think you are just having a knee jerk reaction.
Helena, I am sorry but you have zero sense of humour. What is this grim and puritanical outlook? I watched the ad 3 times. What is the problem? There is nothing offensive about it. It is a freaking Israeli ad for Israelis. Israelis don’t have to think about Palestinians day and night for crying outloud. The average person thinks about his/her own problems. You think Israelis should do penance for the occupation and carry the Palestinians around their neck to atone for their perceived sins? Ridiculous!! I agree with JES. Your antipathy -more likely hatred- is so profund and you are unable to be objective. It colors your views of everything Israeli.
May be you ticked off at the sight of soldiers having fun?
You think Israelis should do penance for the occupation and carry the Palestinians around their neck to atone for their perceived sins?
Ruth, the Quakers invented the penitentiary in the nineteenth century. It was a place for the prisoners to do penance.
You think the whole world population should do penance for the holocaust and carry the Jewish suffering around their neck to atone for their perceived sins?
Do you like it Ruth ? maybe you can envision the “Wall” in Warsaw and the Jewish population entrapped inside an open prison, suffering with no hope, while the Nazi Germans are laughing and playing , you will probably reply, have some sense of humour, in the yesteryears the Nazis were having fun…exactly like the Israeli Offensive Forces are today .
Empathy is what your likes lack . Shame on you!
@world peace,
Nobody in the Warsaw ghetto tried to strap a bomb on himself and go to a German or Polish dance hall and blow himself up. The people in the ghetto weren’t having one of the largest population growth rates in the world and definitely wouldn’t be having a life expectancy over 73 years.
The IDF soldiers in the ad aren’t “laughing and playing” on the suffering of the Palestinians. They are playing with a soccer ball WITH the unseen Palestinian.
What is wrong with an advertisement about technology trying to have fun with the people you can’t see, aka cellphones with games?
It was nice of the Israeli soldiers (though actually in any human context, only basic decency) that the first time, they kicked the ball back across the Wall. It earlier may or may not have been kicked across to them intentionally.
Probably the second time, it was kicked back by the unseen, silent, ghostly figures on the other side of the Wall with some intention to continue a back-and-forth play??
Could have been a “fun” story-line, maybe?
Instead of which, what happens? The Israeli soldiers call their Israeli-soldier friends on their cell-phones, who all come gathering and the Israeli soldiers all have a fine old time with the (presumaby Palestinian) ball.
Woohoo. Lots of “fun” that must have been for the Palestinians. Irony alert.
There was no indication at all that the Israelis were calling the Palestinians, seeking to play with them, or anything else like that.
Re “sense of humor.” As a feminist I’ve often been accused that I lack a “sense of humor” when, e.g. misogynistic “jokes” are told or whatever. My sense of humor is fine, thank you. I don’t need patronising people from israel who don’t even know me to lecture me about it.
It was nice of the Israeli soldiers (though actually in any human context, only basic decency) that the first time, they kicked the ball back across the Wall. It earlier may or may not have been kicked across to them intentionally.
Probably the second time, it was kicked back by the unseen, silent, ghostly figures on the other side of the Wall with some intention to continue a back-and-forth play??
Could have been a “fun” story-line, maybe?
Instead of which, what happens? The Israeli soldiers call their Israeli-soldier friends on their cell-phones, who all come gathering and the Israeli soldiers all have a fine old time with the (presumably Palestinian) ball.
Woohoo. Lots of “fun” that must have been for the Palestinians. Irony alert.
There was no indication at all that the Israelis were calling the Palestinians, seeking to play with them, or anything else like that.
Re “sense of humor.” As a feminist I’ve often been accused that I lack a “sense of humor” when, e.g. misogynistic “jokes” are told or whatever. My sense of humor is fine, thank you. I don’t need patronising people from israel who don’t even know me to lecture me about it.
I am not from Israel. And you ned to be lectured because you are holier than thou.
@WorldPeace
Pure whatboutery!
I am not from Israel. And you ned to be lectured because you are holier than thou.
@WorldPeace
Pure whatboutery!
“Nobody in the Warsaw ghetto tried to strap a bomb on himself and go to a German or Polish dance hall and blow himself up.”
No they did not, neither did they suffered a brutal occupation for 63 years. However both people, the Palestinians under the Zionist regime and the Jewish people under the Nazi regime experienced the horrors of Shoa, the despicable horrors of the holocaust .
“What is wrong with an advertisement about technology trying to have fun with the people you can’t see, aka cellphones with games?”
If seeing is believing, we saw the horrors on our T.V. screens for 33 days in Southern Lebanon and a couple of months ago, a burning Gaza by white phosphorous that lit the sky and the skin of alive human beings , A young girl, her legs had to be amputated because she will keep burning as long as long as her extremities are in contact with oxygen. A young boy, women, men, they have all one common crime they are Palestinians they are not Jews, yes in Germany and in Poland they were Jewish not Gentiles, in both cases they have the wrong identity . A friendly reminder, we are in the 21st century .
So if you chose to turn a blind eye, there is nothing wrong with the ad , what is wrong is your lack of justice and peace for both people.
With this kind of mentality I pity you, because you are a holocaust denier of both people .
Sorry for the repeat post and the typo-
“Need” of course, not “ned”.
@worldpeace.
Your post is so offensive on so many levels.
You are truly a disgrace!
How poetic world peace. So much empathy and pathos. So little accuracy or historical context. You’ve learned your lessons well.
Clarify !!!
In lieu of attacking the messenger, which seems to be the norm, state why world peace is a disgrace,
Helena, obviously you know nothing whatever about soccer. Well, that doesn’t surprise!
Still …
“It was nice of the Israeli soldiers (though actually in any human context, only basic decency) that the first time, they kicked the ball back across the Wall. It earlier may or may not have been kicked across to them intentionally.”
The fully armed Israeli soldiers are patrolling the wall when a soccer ball comes over from Palestinians and strikes their vehicle. They all jump out and instead of getting out their weapons and shooting the ball, Helena, they kick it back and they start a game!
“Probably the second time, it was kicked back by the unseen, silent, ghostly figures on the other side of the Wall with some intention to continue a back-and-forth play??
“Could have been a “fun” story-line, maybe?
“Instead of which, what happens? The Israeli soldiers call their Israeli-soldier friends on their cell-phones, who all come gathering and the Israeli soldiers all have a fine old time with the (presumaby Palestinian) ball.”
Helena, what they are doing when they are having “a fine old time” is “heading it” to each other. This is what happens in soccer! Then they kick it back to the Palestinians. Who would also be “heading it” to each other before kicking it back again to the Israelis.
In other words, the Israeli soldiers were NOT commandeering or otherwise persecuting the poor Palestinians soccer ball!
“Woohoo. Lots of “fun” that must have been for the Palestinians. Irony alert.”
Soccer is the biggest boys game in the world, H, and particularly so in Muslim countries. This ad carried a powerful message to young Israeli men about the common humanity they share with young Palestinian men as human beings. It’s use of the Wall as the symbol of the divide was quite brilliant.
A very effective antidote to Israeli soldiers always in their imagination equating young Palestinian men with suicide belts, I would have thought.
But perhaps you have an objection to the very idea of Palestinians “having fun” by playing soccer with Israeli soldiers instead of resisting them?