Yes, 'Fauda' Season 5 Tackles Oct. 7, Shifts Western Narrative

The latest season of the popular Israeli television series "Fauda," specifically episodes 7 and 8 of its fifth season, which directly address the events of October 7th, have been released globally on Netflix. The show appears to be succeeding where official Israeli state messaging has struggled: subtly altering the Western narrative and fostering greater understanding of the Israeli perspective.

Following the release, social media users worldwide have expressed empathy and a clearer comprehension of Israel's position. One Italian user tweeted, "Watch 'Fauda.' Otherwise, you'll find yourselves in Venice applauding nonsense for 25 minutes," referencing the controversial reception of a film critical of Israel at the Venice Film Festival. A German user questioned the lack of a 'permissible' response to the October 7th atrocities, while a British viewer found the "Fauda" episode too difficult to watch, stating it "made the picture clearer for him."

Further reactions included a Dutch user noting that "images taken by the terrorists themselves" showed the reality of the attacks, but "fiction can sometimes do what the news cannot: not just make you look, but put you right into the events." An Indian viewer expressed distress, writing, "I can't sleep. I don't know how Hamas sympathizers are still alive among us."

Lior Raz, a star of "Fauda," commented on the global reactions, telling mako, "It's very moving. Our intention was to create a quality television series and, at the same time, tell the world what we felt and experienced on October 7th and after. We are happy that it is reaching the whole world and in this case, we see and understand that nationalism has an important role in the world and must not be forgotten. The success surprises us. We did not expect this magnitude and what we are experiencing both on social networks and in all the global sites and media."

International media outlets have also noted the impact of these episodes. French newspaper "Le Parisien" described them as delving "into the heart of the horror," and American publication "The Decider" called them a confrontation with "the horrors of October 7th and their consequences."

When the season initially aired in June, the Israeli broadcaster yes issued an unusual warning about episodes 7 and 8, acknowledging their graphic content related to October 7th and advising viewers that it was acceptable to skip them if the material proved too distressing.