The actor who brought Israel-Palestine conflict to bedrooms across the world
Fauda, which is Arabic for chaos, premiered as a TV series on Netflix in 2015, developed by Avi Issacharoff and lead actor Lior Raz, who was as real in his role of the protagonist as the story the series told. In its stylised action, breathless suspense, eerie intrigue and lyrical portrayal of revenge and loss, Fauda gave a face to the conflict. In its four seasons, Fauda showed how Israel-Palestine conflict is not just a war of ideologies or a battle for land but also a story of husbands, wives, parents, children, siblings and lovers.
Many also saw Fauda as Israeli propaganda dressed up as a racy thriller. But Fauda's popularity, even in Arab countries where people have deep animus for Israel, underlined its stark realism. After last week's Hamas attack on Israel, many would be interpreting the incidents through the Fauda lens.
Raz, who co-produced and co-wrote the series while also playing the lead role of Israeli agent Doron Kabilio, has volunteered in the ongoing war against Hamas and joined the Brothers in Arms, a group fighting alongside Israel. He shared a video in which he is seen taking shelter behind a wall as rockets explode in the sky.
Raz, from agent to actor
Raz, whose father worked in Israeli internal security service Shin Bet, grew up in Jerusalem and spoke fluent Hebrew and Arabic.
