A set constructed for a popular Israeli children’s television series was condemned by Palestinian activists as an illegal outpost.
Ma’an News, a Palestinian news source, reported on Wednesday that settlers from the Jewish town of Nofim had taken over land on the western edge of northern Samaria. The activity was reported by Nazmi Salman, a Palestinian activist who in the past has accused Jews of destroying Arab owned olive orchards. Maan claimed the land in question was owned by residents of the nearby village of Deir Istiya, and that armed Jewish settlers threatened Arabs who approached the new settlement.
The site was in fact being used as a temporary set for a popular children’s television show appropriately titled ‘Yuval Ha’Mibulabal’ (Jubal the confused). The main character has made a career of being confused, though he does seem to be able to differentiate between a fantasy TV set and real buildings.
A tweet from the Israeli news source Walla shows the buildings the Arabs claimed was a new illegal Jewish outpost. The Hebrew text says, “Welcome to the Confused Jubal Outpost”.
ברוכים הבאים למאחז ״יובל המבולבל״..הדיווח על המאחז התברר כצילומים של יובל המבולבלhttps://t.co/Fika1lFBL5
— zvika stern (@zvikastern) June 8, 2017
The filming is part of a campaign by the Samaria Regional Council to promote movie production in the area.
Israeli settlers take over Palestinian lands in Salfit, erect illegal outpost https://t.co/Wm9HAfbfj4 pic.twitter.com/4A2OWvugpY
— Ma’an News Agency (@MaanNewsAgency) June 7, 2017
The star of the show, Yuval Shem Tov, was surprised at the political controversy his show had caused.
“I don’t know the names of politicians. I only know Spongebob,” said Shem Tov in an interview with Israeli radio station Radio 103. “We set up an imaginary village and it turns out that Palestinians saw this and thought that we had set up a settlement.”
Maan News published a follow-up story about the incident, maintaining that the film set was indeed a guise for a land grab.
“Israeli settlers are illegally residing in the area and the local Palestinians had feared more of their village’s lands were being confiscated by Israelis as a result of the movie set,” the news service wrote on Friday.
