Fauda

I just finished watching season 3, and in short, it is a good series that depict the life in both Israel and Palestine, like what they eat, their culture and traditions. So in the beginning, you feel hopeful that Israelis want to learn from Arabs and vice versa, but then, the series become very cyinical, when in fact the only reason they "learn each other language and culture" is to creates pain and sorrow.

I wanted to root for the Shin Bet team headed by Doron, but I couldn't. The lack of morals and restraint when inmocent Palestinians are involved, just show how imbalanced this war is. They have no policy of taking prisoners. They simply shoot to kill, even enemies that already surrendered.

Also, they recruit informanta and collaborators among Palestinians, who endanger themselves to help Israelis, but Israel never helps or rescues them, so normally they end up dead.

And another irony, is that the more terrorist they kill, the more replacements they create, because all the orphans, siblings that become destitute and homeless (it shows Israel blowing up houses of innocent people), so in the end offering their life to Hamas is the only resource left.

The show missed an opportunity to show how to de escalate the conflict. In the end, it jsut fuels more hate and sectarianism

There are too many films and series about the Israeli Mosad and IDF to go into. Suffice it to say this one simply tries to throw in every known cliche and just comes off bland. It is almost a parody of itself in that only the israelis could have the lead of a balding, obese hairy middle-aged man be the love interest to a hot professional, younger Arab woman. It is unapologetic about killing Arab civilians in the course of their operations from the beginning of the episode. So, if you like watching creepy israelis having sex with their subordinates/co-workers' wives, all while killing Arabs, then this is your wet dream.

There is a story to tell from both sides and I clearly see that in this series.

Acting is really done well, effects are good. I keep on watching since the story is tense.

I'm amazed at how the Israelis can make such high level series like this, dealing with such intense subjects relating to dealing with the Palestinians, but still manage to be fairly even-handed and treat both sides sympathetically - even terrorists. I think it's this that makes Fauda so good. Yes, you're on the side of the Israeli team - sort of their undercover SAS squad dealing with Palestinian terrorists - but you also see the other side's viewpoint. Fauda is violent and action-packed, but all the characters, on both sides, have depth and believability. Watched all three series in a couple of weeks. Well worth the time.

I am American. I am biased.

With that out of the way, I wanted to... no, felt that I HAD to write a review about Fauda. Being completely honest with myself, I can't review this show based on "realism" or the whether the portrayal of ideological differences are genuine or not; I'm not exposed to that on a daily basis like those in the Middle East are. What I can review is how this show changed my mind and opinion about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how it made me feel.

I went into this viewing with a prideful appreciation of Israel (I still have one) and expected to see an action-packed thriller about undercover operations. You do get that, don't get me wrong, but that's not the point of the show. What you get from this show is a very poignant lesson about the physical, emotional, spiritual, and ideological toll that is felt in the battle that this show is portraying. You get the sense that what you are viewing is real. The writers do a masterful job of convincing you to sympathize with even the most unwavering of Hamas supporters and warriors and with the Israelis tasked with hunting them down. You get a front row seat to the endless killing that is carried out by both sides for reasons that are not even clear to the triggermen. "An eye for an eye", to what end? There is no Hollywood romance sideplots, no flashy explosions or high speed car chases through oncoming traffic, only death and despair.

This show has been incredibly difficult for me to describe to my friends and family, and I can only tell them what it's about and why I believe it's not a biased depiction of the real war going on. But I can't describe how you feel watching this show. It's profound and eye opening. All I know is that we're all human, we all mourn the same way.