“‘Fauda’ doesn’t have happy endings. We’re trying to be realistic.”
So said Avi Issacharoff, co-creator of the hit Netflix series, in a July 22 online conversation with Daniel Gold, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles’ vice president of community engagement. Issacharoff was interviewed as part of Federation’s “Escape to Israel” program, a six-week series of live Zoom events focused on the Jewish state, which runs through Aug. 12.
Issacharoff, who also serves as the Middle East analyst for The Times of Israel, said he was surprised “Fauda,” which has now screened three seasons, found an audience in America. “It’s totally crazy,” he said. “People in L.A. are watching my show. Even as a scriptwriter, I couldn’t write [this response].”
Co-creator Lior Raz also plays the lead role of flawed Israeli agent Doron Kavillio, who pursues Hamas terrorists in the West Bank, and “Fauda” has won legions of fans thanks to its gritty production, which opts for realism not just in its storylines but in its casting.
If the show’s success today seems like a given, Issacharoff said he had a hard time selling the show initially. “Who would want to watch a show about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?” he said. “It is the most boring issue on Earth. It is the unsexiest issue ever — for Israelis and for Palestinians. But sometimes, miracles happen.”
“Who would want to watch a show about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? It is the most boring issue on Earth. It is the unsexiest issue ever — for Israelis and for Palestinians. But sometimes, miracles happen.” — Avi Issacharoff
Part of that miracle may have something to do with the fact that Issacharoff and Raz have known each other since they were in high school in Jerusalem. Issacharoff said he’d always been intimidated by Raz, who was in 12th grade when Issacharoff was in 10th grade, but they eventually ended up in the military reserves together, eliminating the perception of an age gap.
One evening in 2010, they were at a party together. Raz expressed his desire to make a movie about his military service and Issacharoff shared his wish to write a book about it. “I was a journalist. I didn’t have in mind to write a TV show,” Issacharoff said. Two weeks later, the two met in Tel Aviv and began brainstorming ideas, which is how “Fauda” (“chaos” in Arabic), was born.
Along with discussing his show, Issacharoff shared his opinions on prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace. He said Israelis have to work toward a two-state solution even if the possibility of one today is unlikely. “I truly think we as Israelis should aspire for a two-state solution more than anyone else in the world,” he said.
Asked by Gold what people could read to better understand the challenges facing Israel, Issacharoff recommended his own newspaper before highlighting the responsibilities of journalists today.
“Journalists have a sacred role,” he said. “They have mission and we have to keep that in mind. They want to bring you the story and they want to bring you the facts.”
As to the future of “Fauda,” Issacharoff confirmed there would be a fourth season but noted, “It’s very difficult to shoot now because of the coronavirus.”
Virtual Escape to Israel with L.A. Federation
As part of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles’ “Escape to Israel” series, Avi Issacharoff’s portrayal of Hamas in “Fauda” was amplified in the program by Israeli tour guide Yishai Sabag leading a virtual tour of the southern Israeli moshav Nativ Ha’asarah, which has repeatedly come under Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza.
Sabag highlighted the challenges facing residents with their homes located just 2 miles from Gaza. In the event of a rocket attack, residents have 15 seconds to seek shelter after the siren goes off, Sabag said.
He also led viewers on a virtual tour of Path to Peace, a mosaic decorating the separation wall between Israel and Gaza.
Gold told the Journal the “Escape to Israel” series reflects how Federation has pivoted during the pandemic. During a typical summer, the organization leads missions to Israel for donors as well as non-Jewish high school educators as part of its Holy Land Democracy Project. But with travel now curtailed, Federation decided to bring what it believes to be the most alluring aspects of Israel into people’s homes.
“This is for all audiences, interest groups and age groups,” Gold said. “Like the Birthright Israel guide, our goal is to give the most broad overview of Israel.”
The free program has featured webinars with experts in politics and history; live guided tours of Israel’s landmarks from the Western Wall to the Shuk (market); from Mount Herzl to Yad Vashem; and conversations with Federation partners in Israel, including Unistream, which aims to bridge Israel’s socioeconomic divide, and Israel Trauma Coalition, which has responded to mass casualty incidents around the world from Haiti to Sri Lanka.
To view an upcoming “Escape to Israel” program or to watch a recording of a past session, click here.
