JERUSALEM: When the Israeli creators of the Netflix show “Fauda” first came up with its concept, they doubted whether an action series based on the never-ending Mideast conflict would make for must-see TV.
“Why would somebody want to watch in their spare time something that is right outside their door?” pondered Avi Issacharoff, a longtime Arab affairs journalist in Israel. “We wanted it to be realistic, but we didn’t know if people who live with this crap 24/7 would be interested.”
But even with a primarily Arabic dialogue, it became a hit in Israel, winning awards and accolades for humanizing both the Israelis and the Palestinians.
It surprisingly also garnered fans among Palestinians and other Arabs before earning acclaim in Hollywood for depicting the drama of the conflict and its human cost on both sides. No less a thriller authority than Stephen King lauded it on Twitter as “all killer and no filler.”
Netflix, which doesn’t release viewership numbers, calls it a “global phenomenon” available in 190 countries. Season 2 will be released on May 24.
Season 1 chronicles the adventures of an undercover Israeli commando team who immerse themselves in the heart of Palestinian society to capture a terrorist behind a wave of suicide bombings.
In addition to the shootouts and chases, it also delves into the politics and personal drama of the commandos and terrorists, depicting their motivations and family lives, often in a sympathetic manner.
The creators, though they identify as Zionist Jews, don’t shy away from showing the uglier sides of the West Bank occupation and the struggles of the other side. They even look to smash one of the greatest taboos of all, exploring the possibility of an Israeli-Palestinian romance.
“I think that’s the secret of the show — everyone can connect to their narrative and find something to identify with,” said co-creator Lior Raz, who also plays the lead role of Doron Kavillio. “I just got a message from someone in Turkey who said she hated Israeli soldiers but now understands the complexities better, and some Israelis have also begun to understand the Palestinians better.”
Though the plot is fictional, many elements mirror that of Raz’s own life. He too was an undercover commando who carried out operations similar to those depicted in the show, and during his military service he had a girlfriend who was killed by a Palestinian attacker — like one of the characters.
He turned to acting after a stint as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bodyguard. A chance encounter with Issacharoff, a childhood friend, spawned the idea for a show that combined their backgrounds. At first, Israeli distributors didn’t want to touch it. Ultimately, the YES satellite network ran a few episodes and then extended its run after it became a local sensation.
Raz said the most he had hoped for was that it would perhaps inspire an American spinoff series, following hits like “Homeland,” “Hostages” and “In Treatment” that were based on Israeli productions. But Netflix went a step further, running it as-is in its original Hebrew-Arabic form.
Raz said he credits the success of “Narcos” for opening the door to non-English language programming in the United States. Netflix has already commissioned Raz and Issacharoff to write two new shows for them.
Einav Schiff, a TV columnist for the Yediot Ahronot newspaper, said the natural interest in Israel and the Middle East was not the primary source of the show’s success.
“Bottom line, it is good TV. It’s what you would come to expect from American and British productions. It’s what an action show should look like,” he said.
Delving into such sensitive terrain, though, has not come without its critics. Hamas militants have blasted it as Zionist propaganda. The anti-Israel BDS boycott movement says it aims to “whitewash the occupation” and has called on Netflix to remove it.
Such criticism seems likely to grow given the recent bloodshed on the Gaza border, where Palestinians have tried to breach the fence with Israel and dozens have been shot dead.
Even more moderate Arab voices have been off put by the lovefest for “Fauda,” the Arabic word for “chaos.”
Columnist Sayed Kashua said the series gave Israelis a sense of superiority by claiming it was popular with Arabs, while it served their own narrative.
“You already have military victories and cultural control in marketing the Israeli occupation policy: At least give the Palestinians the option of hating ‘Fauda,’” he wrote in Haaretz. “There is nothing in ‘Fauda’ that addresses the reality in the territories.”
In a case of life imitating art, students at the Palestinian Beir Zeit university in the West Bank captured footage in March month of undercover Israeli commandos arresting the head of the student council there. Israeli TV news broadcasts billed it as a real-life ‘Fauda’ scene.
The chief antagonist of Season 1, Abu Ahmad, is based on Sheikh Ibrahim Hamed, a Palestinian militant convicted of murdering 54 Israelis. But the Arab-Israeli actor who portrayed him tried to downplay comparisons to the contemporary conflict.
“I think some people are confused. This is art. It’s not real,” Hisham Suliman said with a chuckle. “In reality, there are no superheros.”
‘Fauda’ makes Israeli-Palestinian conflict a must-see TV hit
‘Fauda’ makes Israeli-Palestinian conflict a must-see TV hit
- Co-creator Lior Raz: “I think that’s the secret of the show — everyone can connect to their narrative and find something to identify with.”
- Even with a primarily Arabic dialogue, it has become a hit in Israel, winning awards and accolades for humanizing both the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Sotheby’s to hold second Saudi Arabia auction titled ‘Origins’
- 70 works by local, Mideast, international artists on Jan. 31
- Work of late Saudi artist Safeya Binzagr will also be on sale
DUBAI: Sotheby’s will have its second auction in Saudi Arabia on Jan. 31 featuring more than 70 works by leading local, Middle East and international artists.
Titled “Origins,” the sale will be staged again in Diriyah, the birthplace of the Kingdom and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The full selection will be available for free public viewing at Bujairi Terrace from Jan. 24.
The event coincides with the opening of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale and comes just ahead of the debut of Art Basel Doha in February, marking Art Basel’s first fair in the Middle East.
The sale spans a wide range of collecting categories, including Ancient Sculpture, 20th-Century Design and Prints, Middle Eastern, Modern and Contemporary, Latin American, and Modern and Contemporary South Asian.
Ashkan Baghestani, Sotheby’s head of sale and contemporary art specialist, said in a recent press release that the second auction reflects the company’s continued commitment to Saudi Arabia’s growing ecosystem.
Among the headline lots is “Coffee Shop in Madina Road” (1968) by Safeya Binzagr (1940–2024), estimated at $150,000 to $200,000. She is considered one of Saudi Arabia’s pioneering artists and the “spiritual mother” of contemporary local art.
The piece comes from the collection of Alberto Mestas Garcia, Spain’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1966 to 1976, and his wife, Mercedes Suarez de Tangil Guzman.
A 1989 untitled painting by Mohammed Al-Saleem (1939–1997), estimated at $150,000 to $200,000, is from a private collection in Bahrain. The work exemplifies his Horizonism style, inspired by desert landscapes, and follows his record $1.1 million sale at Sotheby’s London in 2023.
Also included is “Demonstration” (1968) by Iraqi modernist Mahmoud Sabri (1927–2012), estimated at $400,000 to $500,000. The work reflects Sabri’s socially engaged practice and combines social realism with Christian imagery in a charged depiction of mourning and protest.
Samia Halaby’s “Copper” (1976), estimated at $120,000 to $180,000, highlights the artist’s move toward abstraction in the 1970s. Halaby, born in Jerusalem and now based in the US, has works in major international collections and participated in the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024.
A rare early work by Egyptian artist Ahmed Morsi, “Deux Pecheurs” (“Two Fishermen”) (1954), is estimated at $120,000 to $180,000. Morsi’s works have appeared only five times at auction previously and are held in major museum collections worldwide.
International highlights include Pablo Picasso’s “Paysage” (1965), estimated at $2 million to $3 million. Painted in Mougins during the final decade of his life, the work reflects Picasso’s late engagement with landscape and his dialogue with art history.
Anish Kapoor’s large-scale concave mirror sculpture “Untitled” (2005), estimated at $600,000 to $800,000, is also offered. Executed during a period of major institutional recognition for the artist, the work comes from Kapoor’s iconic mirror series.
Andy Warhol’s “Disquieting Muses (After de Chirico) (1982), estimated at $800,000 to $1.2 million, reinterprets Giorgio de Chirico’s 1917 painting through Pop Art repetition. The sale includes Warhol’s set of four Muhammad Ali screenprints from 1978, estimated at $300,000 to $500,000.
Jean Dubuffet’s “Le soleil les decolore” (1947), estimated at $800,000 to $1.2 million, appears at auction for the first time. Painted after the artist’s travels in the Sahara, the work reflects his response to desert landscapes and nomadic life.
The auction will also feature seven works by Roy Lichtenstein from the personal collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein.
Leading the group are “Interior with Ajax (Study)” (1997), estimated at $600,000 to $800,000, and “The Great Pyramid Banner (Study)” (1980), estimated at $150,000 to $200,000.
