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Last update - 04:09 13/07/2009
WATCH: Facebook group slams ad showing IDF troops playing soccer by separation fence
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Separation Fence, Israel News 

A Facebook group is trying to get Israel's leading cell phone operator, Cellcom, to pull a new TV commercial showing Israeli soldiers near the West Bank separation fence, arguing that the advert is "racist."



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The commercial, produced by the Israeli branch of international advertising powerhouse McCann Erickson, shows IDF soldiers on patrol along the separation fence who stop their jeep when it is hit by a soccer ball from the Palestinian side of the fence.

The ball soon bounces back to the Israeli side, at which point the soldiers decide to hold an impromptu game with the Palestinians, cheered on by female soldiers.

The voiceover accompanying the advert says: "After all, what are we all after? Just a little fun."

The Facebook group, called "I too got nauseous watching the new Cellcom ad," severely criticized McCann Eriksson's use of the separation fence in its advert.

"We could go into the media messages spouting racism any which way, but if you have come here than you too think they're uncalled for," reads the introduction to the Facebook group. "The McCann Erickson copywriter displayed an unbelievable propensity for bad taste."

The group also centered on what they feel is offensive in the new commercial, pointing out the fact that the supposedly "good" soldiers fear the possibility that the "monster living on the other side of the wall could steal the ball - but when the ball returns to Israeli hands, we discover that that monster isn't fierce at all, and actually feels like playing with the soldiers - oh joy!"

"Good enough reason to set up a beach party under the wall, complete with sexy female soldiers and musical instruments."

The group ends by demanding the immediate removal of the commercial.

"What our group can agree on is the shame we feel seeing a major Israeli commercial company approving such a beastly advert to be aired in its name, and which brings us to demand - take this racist commercial off the air immediately!"

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      1.   Laughable 13:34  |  Abraham 12/07/09
      2.   The barrier has saved many lives 13:35  |  Carl 12/07/09
      3.   Advert` 13:41  |  zznhl 12/07/09
      4.   I like it 13:42  |  Ethan 12/07/09
      5.   What are we all after??? 13:46  |  Fati 12/07/09
      6.   Nothing To Do With Race 13:48  |  Yishai Kohen 12/07/09
      7.   Why racist? 13:50  |  Daniel 12/07/09
      8.   totally agree with #4 13:59  |  susan 12/07/09
      9.   What`s wrong with it? 14:00  |  Mo 12/07/09
      10.   Good Grief!! 14:01  |  Sandy 12/07/09
      11.   cell com ad facebook response 14:01  |  Barbie 12/07/09
      12.   some of the group members were in the "burn the jews" group 14:05  |  B 12/07/09
      13.   WHAT IS RACIST ABOUT IT???? 14:08  |  john locke 12/07/09
      14.   Not racist! 14:10  |  Shuki 12/07/09
      15.   Racist not, but awfully cynical.... 14:12  |  Goy 12/07/09
      16.   IDF soldiers playing football is in bad taste? 14:52  |  x-ray 12/07/09
      17.   Give me a Break! 15:55  |  Allan Avery 12/07/09
      18.   Ethan who likes it 16:06  |  wibism 12/07/09
      19.   To all the brainwasher TBers here 16:08  |  Smith 12/07/09
      20.   Trivializing what`s serious - Smith 18:10  |  sh 12/07/09
      21.   the commercial shows a message of peace 18:14  |  johnj 12/07/09
      22.   i thought it was cute 18:28  |  marilyn rega 12/07/09
      23.   Not racist 18:30  |  robk 12/07/09
      24.   Two simple messages 18:42  |  JW 12/07/09
      25.   Racist how? 18:45  |  dave duncan 12/07/09
      26.   perfect example of how the word "racist" is losing meaning 19:29  |  Doug 12/07/09
      27.   Why racist? 19:42  |  Sam 12/07/09
      28.   why was this supposed to be racist??? 20:59  |  neutral outsider 12/07/09
      29.   Ofcourse, its racist 21:04  |  Medo 12/07/09
      30.   I`m with Barbie from Yokne`am 100% 21:09  |  Gilles 12/07/09
      31.   who`s the racist one? 21:10  |  Deborah 12/07/09
      32.   A Wall is Defensive -- Not Aggressive 21:12  |  Lynne 12/07/09
      33.   he Legitimacy of Palestinian Nationalism; the idiocy of Leftist 21:20  |  Anthony 12/07/09
      34.   REALITY: Soldiers are NOT Monsters - Deal! 21:28  |  michelle 12/07/09
      35.   Re# 1 Right...The wall came from the other side 21:36  |  Ines 12/07/09
      36.   Re # Carl You are right ... 21:39  |  Ines 12/07/09
      37.   To certain people the existence of Israel is a racist event 21:41  |  dyinglikeflies 12/07/09
      38.   i dont get how that is racist at all 21:41  |  varun 12/07/09
      39.   Great commercial.The facebook group is off.The Pals need to start 21:44  |  ks 12/07/09
      40.   Also why isn`t this group protesting holocaust deniers 21:45  |  ks 12/07/09
      41.   Horrible!! your responses are worse then the ad!! 21:49  |  Eg 12/07/09
      42.   Re # 3 Yah... right... 22:04  |  Ines 12/07/09
      43.   chill out 22:27  |  Michael 12/07/09
      44.   Message of peace if anything 22:30  |  P 12/07/09
      45.   racist???? 22:38  |  Bob 12/07/09
      46.   Inocent response to a palestinian soccer ball. 22:46  |  Comunismofobico 12/07/09
      47.   #30 Varun; You absolutely correct. But we are dealing with ME men 22:55  |  Israeli Observer 12/07/09
      48.   Re# 4 It sounds really sad...this side 23:20  |  Ines 12/07/09
      49.   Facebook wrong 00:57  |  Jay Garth 13/07/09
      50.   The opposite, it`s a positive commercial... 02:07  |  Smadar 13/07/09
      51.   Its not a confinement wall--its a defensive protection wall 02:15  |  Jehu 13/07/09
      52.   What is "racist" about this ad? 02:45  |  Fortuna Benmayor 13/07/09
      53.   Wrong 03:07  |  Tom 13/07/09
      54.   It;s a great add! 03:22  |  GR 13/07/09
      55.   tired of the leftist jargon already-get a life! 03:42  |  Mark 13/07/09
      56.   Get a life! 04:00  |  shtarka 13/07/09
      57.   "Anti-Racism" 04:20  |  Daniel 13/07/09
      58.   cell phone commercial 04:39  |  dariush 13/07/09
      59.   Finish the barrier! 06:25  |  Nechama 13/07/09
      60.   nice advertisement 07:42  |  scallywag 13/07/09
      61.   Cell Phone Ad 07:49  |  Emmannuelle James 13/07/09
      62.   Not Quite the Word That Came To Mind... 07:57  |  Lisa 13/07/09
      63.   What next? 08:54  |  Disgusted 13/07/09
      64.   too bad it can`t REALLY be as depicted in the ad; but NOT racist! 09:59  |  eric 13/07/09
      65.   What??? 10:32  |  israeli 13/07/09
      66.   Vampirizing Facebook group 11:04  |  Michael Jacobs 13/07/09
      67.   too bad it can`t REALLY be as depicted in the ad; but NOT racist! 11:51  |  eric 13/07/09
      68.   Ad Could Have Been Good 11:51  |  Walid 13/07/09
      69.   Whatever, people are just looking to.... 12:05  |  Sega 13/07/09
      70.   Disgusting it is all right 12:10  |  as are the talkbacks 13/07/09
      71.   Not racist, but giving Pal terrorist an idea 12:17  |  Aaron 13/07/09
      72.   There`s nothing racist about the ad 13:23  |  JonathanInTelAviv 13/07/09
      73.   Hardly Racism in fact Quite the Opposite 14:36  |  Daniel 13/07/09
      74.   #38 14:47  |  Rab Burns 13/07/09
      75.   On what do the Faceless facebook facists base this claim 15:10  |  Honest Joe 13/07/09
      76.   Prison Break 15:25  |  Cody 13/07/09
      77.   this is not racist 15:57  |  Beiruti 13/07/09
      78.   I wonder! 17:14  |  Deborah 13/07/09
      79.   Cellcom ad commentary 17:44  |  Alan Abbey 13/07/09
      80.   football versus soccer 19:35  |  Connie 13/07/09
      81.   Brilliant 19:39  |  Brad 13/07/09
      82.   who cares, the guys were hot! 19:50  |  nadav 13/07/09
      83.   Deborah #59 20:13  |  Hasan 13/07/09
      84.   Security fence 21:31  |  Conrad 13/07/09
      85.   Exploding Soccer Balls! 21:46  |  UsedToPostHere 13/07/09
      86.   So Why Doesn`t The Israeli Team Play In Saudi Arabia? 21:48  |  UsedToPostHere 13/07/09
      87.   re: eg 21:55  |  UsedToPostHere 13/07/09
      88.   What is "racist`? 22:03  |  utagawa 13/07/09
      89.   Not getting it 04:02  |  Omar 14/07/09
      90.   Crellcom ad works 05:53  |  Sabra 14/07/09
      91.   Loved the AD! Thumbs down to leftist group. Cheers to the IDF! 10:38  |  Claudia 14/07/09
      92.   # 91 Claudia 17:30  |  The Teacher/Instruct 18/07/09
      93.   Wrong in many ways 17:33  |  bam-bam 27/07/09
      94.   To "p" a message of peace 17:22  |  KK & K 10/09/09
      95.   Cute and funny 17:19  |  syrian opinion 11/10/09
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