Long at last, Season 4 of “Fauda” is upon us. After a lengthy wait, we finally get to delve back into the action-packed world of Doron Kabilio and his badass pals.
To help you fully immerse yourself in the monumental moment, here are 10 fascinating Fauda facts that might have somehow escaped your notice as they’ll give your newfound viewing even more edge. You’re welcome.
1. The cast is actually really famous
Many Fauda stars are veteran household names in Israel. Marina Maximillian (Hila) and Idan Amedi (Sagi), for example, are famous singers, while Itzik Cohen (Captain Ayoub) is a comedian who was part of the country’s most iconic drag band. Shadi Mar’i (Walid) has a super-impressive film and television career behind him, and Netta Garti (Gali) is one of Israel’s best-loved actresses and fashion icons.
2. Hamas reportedly produced its own version of Fauda
Yes, you read that right. According to news reports, Hamas was so upset with the way “Fauda” represents the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that it decided to counter it with a TV drama of its own. The low-budget production was reportedly to be called “Fist of the Free” and tell the tale of a 2018 incident in the Gaza Strip. Alas, it has yet to make the same waves as its Israeli counterpart, and we can’t imagine it to be quite as good.
3. Fauda is super popular in the Arab world
For a while now, it’s been known that Fauda has become something of a guilty pleasure among viewers in the Arab world. But now that Season 4’s dropped, it’s official – Fauda made it recently to top viewing spots in Netflix throughout the Arab and Muslim world. We’re talking Netflix’s most viewed show in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, second most viewed show in Qatar, third in Jordan, fifth in Turkey, sixth in Morocco and eighth in Saudi Arabia. Not too shabby.
4. Fauda is the first Hebrew- and Arab-language series to make it big
After numerous English-language adaptations of hit Israeli shows made it to large audiences worldwide (hello there, Homeland), Fauda is the first Israeli Hebrew- and Arabic-language program to really make it overseas. Ever since it was picked up by streaming giant Netflix, it reached many millions of homes across the world, raising the profile of Israeli TV and paving the way for more internationally acclaimed Israeli programs.
5. Lior Raz’s initial claim to fame involves Arnold Schwarzenegger
Before rubbing shoulders with stars in premieres worldwide, Fauda creator and star Lior Raz’s connection to Hollywood was even more classically Israeli: He was the bodyguard of none other than former movie star and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. After a super-combat military service that also lent its experiences to the writing of Fauda, Raz traveled to the US to protect The Terminator, who might have given him a tip or two on how to be the toughest-looking guy around.
6. The Tehran connection
It might be no accident that Tehran became the next big Israeli thing to grace international TV. Moshe Zonder, lead writer for the first season of Fauda, went on to create Tehran, which became a massive hit for Netflix rival Apple TV. Not unlike Fauda, Tehran gives dedicated screentime to lots of Farsi dialogue, Israeli-Iranian and American-Iranian actors and a behind-the-scenes look at one of Israel’s biggest enemies.
7. Not all the Arabic on Fauda is fluent
One of the best things about Fauda, in our opinion, is the screen time given to Arabic dialogue. And yet, not all of the supposedly Arabic-speaking Israeli actors actually speak the language. One prominent example is Itzik Cohen, who plays Gabi Ayoub, the Shin Bet captain who seems to have an Arabic saying for every occasion. Turns out, Cohen learns these lines with a coach ahead of each scene. And while yours truly can’t vouch for his accent, he absolutely rocks his role.
8. The creators landed themselves some big bucks
Fauda creators Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff earned big bucks when their production company, Faraway Road Productions, was purchased by Candle Media for a reported $50 million. Candle Media is headed by former Disney execs, giving a promising show of confidence in the two Israelis’ ability to create even more fabulous content in upcoming years. We can’t wait.
9. The undercover commandos can no longer go undercover
In a recent interview given to Hebrew-language newspaper Maariv, Lior Raz shared how he can no longer go incognito around the world. He related that on one trip to Dubai with co-star Idan Amedi, the two were bombarded by fans from all corners of the globe – so it’s just as well that they’re not actually real-life undercover agents.
10. Chaos, chaos, chaos
Just in case you have yet to learn what the word fauda actually means, let us relieve you of the uncertainty: chaos. In Arabic. But now also all across the world, as the show’s enthusiastic fans try to casually (and most likely unsuccessfully) drop the word into everyday conversation.
Topics: Life, culture, Fauda, Israeli film and TV
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