Israel makes a mountain out of a molehill

A huge boulder comes hurtling down an alpine mountain ridge, crushing cedar trees and rocks beneath its path. At the end of its course lies a small walled village called "Europe", where the EU flag flutters in the clear mountainous air.

Stamped on the boulder are the Islamic State group and Hamas' logos. It is a clear warning by the part-architects (*see below) of the animation that unsuspected Europe is about to be crushed by these twin (but diametrically opposed) forces of Islamism.

Just when it appears the village is about to be flattened, a stone hulk emerges on the mountain face and tries desperately to halt the progress of the bolder.

It snaps away chunks of rock and pushes with all its might until the bolder comes to a grinding halt, inches outside Europe's gates. Europe is saved!

But when the Goliath figure is identified as "Israel", rather than being thankful, the roofs of the village homes open up. "Boycott Israel" banners are hoisted in the air, while rocks and javelins are launched at the towering figure.

The pro-Israel video was altered from another film [Facebook]

Still holding back the boulder, the monstrous stone hulk is unruffled by such a paltry violent protest.

But annoyed by such ingratitude, he also wants to teach Europe a lesson. So he steps aside and allows the Islamist boulder to fall and crush Europe.

The animation ends with the misspelled message: "ISREAL [sic] is fighting your WAR. Support Isreal [sic]".

Real war?

Despite Israel being known as a global tech giant, little work by Israelis went into the making of this animation. The original American creators never had Israel - or any other country - in mind.

Instead, a pro-Israeli public relations group – which describes itself as "For the Advancement of Israel's Global Image" – had simply altered the footage of HouseSpecial's award-winning animation A Tale of Momentum & Inertia.

To it, they added the Star of David to the stone man, IS' and Hamas' flags to the boulder, and a few other minor alterations to fit its message.

The Hallelu Foundation gives no mention to this in the video or credit its true makers who dissociated themselves from the group. Alternet, which revealed this fact, said the video was taken down shortly afterwards by Hallelu.

So what is Hallelu about? On its website it identifies what it sees as a problem for Israel and believes its role is to fix it. 

"How is it that, despite Israel's phenomenal achievements in every possible arena, many see it as harmful?"

Rather than looking at the 67-year occupation of Palestinian land and a crushing siege on Gaza as possible factors, it has another reason:

"Despite its achievements, the State of Israel is on the defensive, criticised, denigrated and isolated. Its leaders and official bodies have been unsuccessful in promoting the state."

Bad taste

The efforts of the foundation have been, so far, shockingly amateur. Its propaganda machinery has sparked laughter and derision from its critics, rather than fear and anger.

Most of its messages have melded Israeli nationalism, militarism, and conspiracy theories, which only appears to attract support from other similar-minded Israelis and
Islamophobic fringe elements in the West.

Hallelu's views on Europe's refugee crisis – which has seen hundreds of thousands of people fleeing barrel bombs and fighting in Syria – is equally unforgiving.

Israeli companies are designing the [Hungarian] fence, who no doubt have experience given Israel's construction of the illegal 'separation wall' that cuts into the West Bank

Posted on The Hallelu Foundation's Facebook page is the story [it claims] of a member Wilhelm T. Roth, who is also the CEO for the Centre for the Promotion of Israel-Europe Relations.

The Israeli had allegedly met a Hungarian official and when he told him of his nationality the man grabbed his hand and asked for a hug.

"What's all the love for?" Roth asked coyly. The official told him that if it wasn't for Israeli companies "Hungary would never have regained control of its borders in the wake of the recent refugee crisis, and that [Israel] saved the Hungarian economy and society".

Hungary is currently building a four-metre high border fence, spanning 523 kilometres along the Slovenian border. It is designed to fence off refugees fleeing war in Syria, Iraq and Palestine and keep Hungary Hungarian.

Israeli companies have been contacted by Hungary to provide the technology and know-how to put up the border fence. They no doubt have the experience given Israel's construction of the illegal "separation wall" that cuts through the West Bank annexing more land for Israel.

Hallelu has even used light-hearted entertainment to attack Palestine.

One Facebook post showed an image of flags banned by the Eurovision Song Contest. Included among the ten examples is the Islamic State group's banner and the Palestinian flag.

"What do the Palestinian and ISIS flags have in common?" The Hallelu Foundation asks its 2,900 "strong" Facebook following.

"Both flags have been banned by the organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest" - of which Israel is a member.

A more honest and fitting comparison would be of the Basque flag, which is also on the banned list.

However, few Basques would claim their freedoms and identities are curtailed to anywhere the same degree as the Palestinians, and have often showed solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.

Even fewer see Israel stopping the Basque Country being swallowed up by the IS menace.