French-Algerian actor, director and writer Hakim Jaziri says he has faced accusations of betrayal for appearing in the fifth season of Yes’s "Fauda", but he insists he has no problem with working on an Israeli production. The season, which began airing last month on Yes, takes place about two years after the October 7 massacre and follows a new mission to stop a major attack in Israel from Marseille, led by Jaziri’s character, Said al-Khatib, described as a European version of Sinwar. The series was created by Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, who also stars, with Omri Shenhar as writer, Omri Givon as director and Liat Benasuly as producer.
Jaziri said many people called him a traitor online, and that some directors and actors told him it was "crazy" to work with Israel. He answered that he is "completely against cultural boycotts" and believes art must connect people, not divide them. He also said he wants to explain what happened on October 7 and its consequences, especially before the show reaches Netflix, when he expects even harsher criticism.
Born in Algeria in July 1981, Jaziri said his family fled to France in late 1994 after repeated assassination attempts by Islamist extremists during Algeria’s civil war, which he said killed about 200,000 people. He later spent several months near radical Islamists as a confused teenager, but said he harmed nobody. He said theater saved him, leading him to become an acclaimed actor, director and playwright in France, and later an activist and author focused on extremism. He compared the manipulation of lost youth to what Hamas does in Gaza.
Jaziri said filming in Israel deeply changed him. He arrived in the country for the first time last year, was delayed for hours at Ben Gurion Airport, then lived in Tel Aviv during the 12-day war with Iran. He said he spent two months in Israel, made many friends, felt safe even during rocket fire near his Bograshov Street lodging, and was struck by the city’s energy and people’s desire to enjoy life despite war. He said he would like to buy an apartment in Tel Aviv and return every few months.
He added that before filming he gained 12 kilograms, learned lines in Palestinian Arabic and improved his English. He said he has equal empathy for Israelis and Palestinians, mourns all innocent deaths, and sees peace as his life’s goal. He also condemned the boycott of filmmaker Nadav Lapid, calling it "more than absurd" and saying he opposes all boycotts in culture or sport.
