‘Arab Labor’, Israel’s best sitcom, comes to Southern California television

Imagine my disorientation the day I flew home to California for Christmas and found my parents watching “Arab Labor,” my most-loved sitcom (and, I thought, best-kept secret) from Israel.

Alas, the show was too good to hide from America for long. “>Click here to find out which channel that is for you.)

Episodes will air every Tuesday night at 9 p.m., beginning on May 6.

“Just generally speaking, there’s a huge Jewish and Arab community here; it’s kind of a melting pot,” Ayn Allen, a spokeswoman for KCET, told me over the phone. “So we thought ['Arab Labor'] would be a home run for Southern California audiences.” And Lorraine Hess, head of acquisitions for KCETLink — the woman who first brought “Arab Labor” to America — said in a press release:

“We are confident this series can help enlighten viewers to some of the nuances around the Arab/Israeli experience that perhaps aren’t evident from mainstream news reporting.”

The show's L.A. drop will be a much-needed refresher from the current Israel-Palestine news cycle. Over the latest (failed) round of peace talks, Israeli and Palestinian leaders have been stuck in a “>columnist for Israel's farthest-left daily, Haaretz. In “Arab Labor,” Kashua delves fearlessly into the struggles and stereotypes facing middle-class Palestinians living in a Jewish state, and — without trivializing, for the most part — exposes the everyday ridiculousness of life in this twisty, conjoined twin of a country. 

From a profile of Kashua for Tower Magazine called ““>Season One and “>Seasons Three and “>on Sunset.

According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), the panel will include Los Angeles Levantine Cultural Center Director “>Clara Khoury, Palestinian-American comedian “>Yigal Arens.

We can only dream their conversation runs anywhere along the lines of