Israeli series ‘Fauda’ a hit in Lebanon

Season 3 released on Netflix in 2020 became the most-watched show in the Arab world

The popular Israeli series “Fauda” has become a major hit in Lebanon once again.

The series, which aired first on Israel’s Yes TV satellite network before moving to Netflix, released season four worldwide on Friday.

The lead actor in the series, Lioz Raz, no. 2 on the ALL ISRAEL NEWS list of top 23 Israelis to watch in 2023, is accompanied in season 4 by Lucy Ayoub, one of the most-recognized Israeli Arab citizens in the country and no. 21 on the list.

The show promptly topped the charts in many countries, including Lebanon – where some of the plot takes place – the United Arab Emirates, Romania, the Czech Republic and Greece. “Fauda” became the second most-watched show in Qatar and landed in the top 10 in Turkey, Morocco and Jordan.

This is not the first time the show has been a hit in Lebanon. When the third season was released on Netflix in 2020, it became the most-watched show in the Arab world. At that time, “Fauda” topped the charts in Lebanon, while also doing very well in Jordan and the UAE.

The show’s co-creator, Avi Issacharoff, attributed its success to both the amount of Arabic in the show and the COVID-19 pandemic that saw lockdowns in many countries at that time.

“I think part of it is the language, which means that ‘Fauda’ has crossed over into the Arabic language, and we are also bringing the story on both sides, not just from the Israeli side,” said Issacharoff, in an interview on Israel’s Channel 13.

In an interview with Israel Hayom, “Fauda” star Itzik Cohen said the show serves Israel well.

“It does us a very good service in the world because it presents the issues we face, shows what environment we live in and in what reality. In my opinion, this is the best propaganda broadcast for the State of Israel. I’ve been living for many years and think there’s always a need for good advocacy,” he said.

Cohen said people from Iraq, Jordan and the UAE have contacted him to offer “many congratulations and thanks.”

He attributed the show’s success to its portrayal of the human condition, more than its representation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“While this series deals with the conflict, it also deals with people and the human side of this situation. That’s how it manages to touch all sides,” Cohen said.

The popularity of the show in Lebanon caused the Walla news site to ask, “Did Nasrallah [the Hezbollah leader] get addicted?”

The current season, which was shot in Israel and the Ukraine, is set in Israel, Lebanon and Belgium.