Behind the Smoke Screen, which was shot in recent weeks by two Palestinian cameramen who work with Rehov on a regular basis, went viral and was published by many pro-Israel organizations. BY Juliane Helmhold, JPOST
The short movie Behind the Smoke Screen by filmmaker Pierre Rehov shows exclusive images from inside the Gaza Strip, aimed at changing the international perception of the ongoing six-week protests dubbed the “Great March of Return” by Hamas.
“I shot the video because I observed many times first hand how Palestinians build their propaganda and I strongly believe that no peace will be possible as long as international media believe their narrative instead of seeing the facts,” the French filmmaker told The Jerusalem Post.
“Hamas knows that it can count on the international community when it launches initiatives such as those ‘peaceful protests’ which have claimed too many lives already, while Israel has no choice but to defend its borders.”
“Welcome to the parade for the return – the latest big show organized by Hamas. Every day between 10,000 and 30,000 Muslim Arabs will participate in this smoke screen operation,” the video introduces the subject matter in the opening remarks.
The short movie then goes on to show shocking images of children being dragged to the front lines of the clashes as human shields and disturbing footage of animal cruelty.
It shows the contradictory tone of Palestinian leaders speaking in English in front of an international audience versus speaking in Arabic to their own people.
It shows the health and environmental risk of the burning tire protests and then asks rhetorically: “Where are the ecologist protests?"
It shows Hamas’ goals of crossing the border and carrying out attacks, and, if all else fails, trying to provoke soldiers, hoping for a stray bullet and making the front pages of international newspapers.
“I want to present facts, and one image is worth 1000 words,” the filmmaker emphasized.
Rehov, who also writes regularly for the French daily Le Figaro, has been producing documentaries about the Arab-Israeli conflict for 18 years, many of which have aired on Israeli media outlets, including The Road to Jenin, debunking Mohammad Bakri’s claim of a massacre in Jenin, War Crimes in Gaza, demonstrating Hamas’ use of civilians as human shields and Beyond Deception Strategy, exploring the plight of minorities inside Israel and how BDS is hurting Palestinians.
