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.
Saudi Pavilion at Osaka Expo wins New York Architectural Design Awards
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai was awarded the Gold Prize in the Cultural Architecture in the Interactive and Experiential Spaces category by the New York Architectural Design Awards.
The prize recognizes the pavilion’s design and architecture, which offers visitors an immersive experience and insight into Saudi Arabia’s heritage.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the pavilion was spearheaded by the Saudi Architecture and Design Commission and was led by CEO Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman and Project Manager Fatima Al-Doukhi. It was also designed by the renowned global firm Foster + Partners.
The design highlights the cultural similarities between the kingdom and Japan, while focusing on sustainability, employing passive cooling strategies enhanced by the strategic placement of structural blocks to facilitate wind movement.
The pavilion features low-carbon materials, energy-efficient lighting and solar energy technologies, SPA reported. It also features Braille signage and pathways for visitors with disabilities, making the building accessible and inclusive.
Saudi Arabia’s pavilion has already attracted over half a million visitors since its launch on April 13.
It has also hosted over 175 events, including cultural performances, business events, media and over 400 VIP delegations.
A vibrant exploration of identity, mind and meaning — Kojo Marfo’s ‘HOME’ comes to Dubai
DUBAI: Ghanaian British artist Kojo Marfo’s first solo exhibition in the UAE — “HOME: Heart of My Existence” — is being held at the JD Malat Gallery in Dubai until May 31.
The exhibition features 13 bold, large-scale works that invite viewers to a deeply personal and philosophical conversation about what it truly means to belong, and where that sense of belonging originates.
Best known for a vibrant style he calls “AfroGenesis,” Marfo blends influences from his Ghanaian heritage including Akan artifacts and carvings with Western techniques like Cubism and Old Master. The results are unique, with vivid, monumental figures that both conceal and reveal complex emotional narratives.
While his early inspirations include Spanish pioneer Picasso, Marfo has moved beyond mimicry to forge his own aesthetic.
“As time went on, I developed my own style and ideas — I call it ‘AfroGenesis.’ It sounds like a movement, but I want to say I am original. I am not trying to start a movement — I am just here to say, I’m authentic.”
A dialogue in color and form
While the dazzling colors and stylized forms initially captivate, it is the underlying message that lingers.
“This is about starting conversations,” Marfo explained. “We think we know everything, but we do not. We live in our minds 24/7 — it tells us what to do, how to feel. The physical space does not mean anything when the mind is in turmoil.”
“HOME” is not about a building or place. For Marfo, home is psychological, internal, shaped by emotion, experience and memory.
“We think home is four walls, a roof, and a lock — but it’s not,” he said. “This exhibition is an invitation for people to look deep into themselves. You need to know yourself, accept and learn from it.”
One of the standouts in the exhibition, “Freedom,” is a visual representation of this inner chaos.
“You can see how chaotic everything is,” said Marfo. “There is a shield — it is what society calls wearing a mask. It protects you from unnecessary aggression. It is our way of life.”
For him, the mask symbolizes humanity’s shifting identities, its emotional defenses and the delicate balance between self-expression and self-preservation.
An artistic evolution
Though Marfo’s work has been shown in global art hubs from Paris to Tokyo, this exhibition marks a significant turning point.
“When the gallery reached out to me, I said, ‘I’m going to introduce something different to this place.’ Most of these pieces have not been shown anywhere. I did it to spark a conversation in Dubai,” he said.
The exhibition is not just a geographical expansion — it is a deepening of his practice. Drawing inspiration from people and the intricacies of human behavior, Marfo paints with storytelling in mind: “Sometimes I paint and then think about the story, but it becomes more difficult. I prefer building on interactions — making it my own and then painting.”
The Saudi artist giving traditional crafts a new voice
- Fatimah Al-Nemer honors generational knowledge through collaborations with Saudi craftswomen
RIYADH: What if traditional crafts were not relics of the past but blueprints for the future? Saudi artist Fatimah Al-Nemer, whose work is on show at Riyadh’s Naila Art Gallery, transforms ancestral materials into contemporary narratives, blending palm fronds, clay, and wool with concept and meaning.
For Al-Nemer, heritage is not something to simply preserve behind glass. It is something to touch, reshape and retell. And traditional crafts are far more than manual skills; they are living archives.
“In the Arabian Peninsula, people adapted to their environment by turning clay, palm fronds, and wool into tools for survival and then into objects of timeless beauty,” she told Arab News.
These crafts, shaped over generations, carry stories that Al-Nemer reinterprets through contemporary art.
Her project, Al-Kar, exemplifies this approach. Named after the traditional climbing tool used by date harvesters, the piece was created in collaboration with Saudi craftswomen.
Al-Nemer transformed humble palm fibers into a three-meter-long rug, elevating simple material into a conceptual installation.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Through her work, Fatimah Al-Nemer dissolves the boundaries between craft and art, heritage and modernity.
• Those curious about the artist’s work can view some of her pieces at solo exhibition ‘Memory of Clay,’ held at Naila Art Gallery until May 30.
“This is not merely an aesthetic celebration,” she said. “It’s a rewriting of our communal identity. Our heritage is rich — not only in materials, but in stories.”
Her work goes beyond decorative craft; she treats traditional practices as conceptual frameworks, weaving narratives through textiles, clay and palm fiber.
Her collaborations with artisans ensure that generational knowledge is embedded in each piece. “The material is never separate from the experience,” she added. “It becomes witness — marked by the presence of women, place and memory.”
Participation in international exhibitions has expanded Al-Nemer’s artistic outlook, allowing her to view local materials like clay and textiles as globally resonant.
This is not merely an aesthetic celebration. It’s a rewriting of our communal identity. Our heritage is rich — not only in materials, but in stories.
Fatimah Al-Nemer, Saudi artist
“The global art scene recontextualizes challenges like the marginalization of craft, and transforms them into dialogues about identity and memory,” she said.
For Al-Nemer, craftswomen are not merely implementers, but collaborators. “They carry manual intelligence honed across generations,” she added, commending institutions like Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission and Herfa Association that are now empowering artisans in alignment with the Kingdom’s cultural transformation.
“Craft is no longer confined to the past — it is a living contemporary practice with global relevance,” she said.
Those curious about the artist’s work can view some of her items at solo exhibition “Memory of Clay,” held at Naila Art Gallery until May 30.
The exhibition offers a contemplative journey into themes of memory, belonging and identity transformation, using clay as a visual and cultural symbol.
Featuring 12 works created through mixed media and a combination of traditional and contemporary techniques, Al-Nemer reimagines ancient Saudi crafts through a modernist lens, presenting clay not simply as raw material, but as a timekeeper and silent witness to human evolution.
“Clay is not just a medium,” she said. “It is a mirror of our collective memory, shaped as we are shaped, cracking to reveal hidden layers of nostalgia and wisdom.”
This philosophy materializes in the tactile depth, earthy hues and intricate details that define her works — each piece echoing the raw pulse of life.
To young Saudi women hoping to innovate through craft, Al-Nemer offers this message: “Believe in the value of what you hold. The world doesn’t just want the product — it wants the story behind it.”
With expanding institutional support and evolving creative spaces, the artist sees an opportunity: “Craft can thrive as both art and enterprise as long as authenticity remains at its core.”
Through her work, Al-Nemer dissolves the boundaries between craft and art, heritage and modernity.
Every thread and every texture becomes a testament to identity — crafted by hand, read by the eye and understood by the heart.
Guns N’ Roses wow Riyadh as part of 2025 global tour
- Iconic band make major stop on Middle East leg of schedule
RIYADH: Iconic American rock band Guns N’ Roses performed in Riyadh on Friday as part of their 2025 global tour, marking a major stop on the band’s Middle East schedule.
The group, which was formed in Los Angeles in 1985, took the stage to a packed crowd, kicking off the night with “Welcome to the Jungle.”
The high-energy set featured classic hits including “November Rain,” “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” with fans singing along throughout.
The concert was organized by MDLBEAST and, ahead of the event, Rayan Al-Rasheed, its director of operations and artist booking, highlighted the significance of hosting such acts in the Kingdom.
He said: “Saudi Arabia has become a key destination for global music acts. By hosting legendary artists like Guns N’ Roses we aim to elevate the Kingdom’s presence in the global music scene.”
The introduction of rock music to the Saudi musical landscape acknowledged a genre that had long had a strong presence in the country, he said, adding: “The popularity of bands like Metallica and Linkin Park shows that rock has deep roots here.”
Kim Kardashian robbers found guilty in Paris
- Algerian-born Aomar Aït Khedache, 69, the ringleader, got the stiffest sentence, eight years imprisonment but five of those were suspended
PARIS: A Paris court this week found the ringleader and seven other people guilty in the 2016 armed robbery of Kim Kardashian, but did not impose any additional time behind bars for their roles in what the US celebrity described as “the most terrifying experience of my life."
The chief judge, David De Pas, said that the defendants' ages — six are in their 60s and 70s — and their health issues weighed on the court’s decision to impose sentences that he said “aren’t very severe.”
He said that the nine years between the robbery and the trial — long even by the standards of France’s famously deliberate legal system — were also taken into account in not imposing harsher sentences. The court acquitted two of the 10 defendants.
Algerian-born Aomar Aït Khedache, 69, the ringleader, got the stiffest sentence, eight years imprisonment but five of those were suspended.
Three others got seven years, five of them suspended. Three more got prison sentences ranging from five to three years, mostly or completely suspended, and an eighth person was found guilty on a weapons charge and fined.
With time already served in pretrial detention, none of those found guilty will go to prison and all walked out free. The trial was heard by a three-judge panel and six jurors.
Still, the chief judge said that Kardashian had been traumatized by the Oct. 2, 2016, jewel heist in her hotel during Fashion Week.
“You caused harm,” the judge said. “You caused fear.”
Kardashian, who wasn't present for the verdict, said in a statement issued afterward that she was “deeply grateful to the French authorities for pursuing justice in this case.”
“The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family. While I’ll never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability and pray for healing for all. I remain committed to advocating for justice, and promoting a fair legal system," said the celebrity who is working to become a lawyer.
