Israeli mobile phone company Cellcom has provoked controversy with its latest advertisement which depicts a group of Israeli soldiers happily playing football with Palestinians over the security fence which separates Israel and the West Bank.

The advert attracted criticism from both Israelis and Palestinians, who felt it failed to reflect the harsh reality of life in the Territories.
Arab MK Ahmed Tibi said: “The advertisement presents the barrier as though it were just a garden fence in Tel Aviv.”

Last week, a group of Palestinian protesters attempted to re-enact the advert by kicking a few footballs over the fence.

However, the soldiers on the other side were not in the mood for a game of keepy-uppy. Instead, they replied with canisters of tear gas.