Top Israeli TV Shows and Films to Binge-watch During the Coronavirus Lockdown

Maybe you planned a visit to Israel that looks like it’s not going to happen because of the coronavirus. Perhaps you want to check out the original version of the many Israeli series that have been, or are set to be, remade for wider audiences in English. Or you could just be an aficionado of Israeli fare who has been too busy – until now, at least – to catch up on the numerous television shows and movies coming out of Israel. Or maybe you are looking for something new and different to binge-watch.

Whatever the reason, here is a complete guide to the best Israeli TV shows and films currently available to subscribers of Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime. Content availability varies from country to country: Everything listed below is currently available in the United States.

TV SERIES

Action

‘Fauda’ (Netflix)
Unless you’ve been living under a cultural rock, you’ll probably know that this global hit follows the adventures of an undercover army unit where Israelis disguise themselves as Arabs and infiltrate the West Bank in order to catch terrorists. What sets it apart from standard “white hats versus black hats” thrillers is the way in which each side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is shown as both human and yet deeply flawed. The first two seasons of the show (whose title means “Chaos” in Arabic) are available to watch now, with a third – set in the Gaza Strip – due soon.

skip
– Fauda trailer

False Flag trailer – דלג

‘When Heroes Fly’ (Netflix)
It’s hard to resist watching a group of dashing young men embark on a mission to rescue a beautiful young woman in distress. The show’s star lineup portrays a group of Israeli comrades from the Second Lebanon War, each traumatized in his own different way by the conflict, who fly out to Colombia to track down the sister – long presumed dead – of one of the group members and an ex-girlfriend of two of the others. The group’s quest will take it deep into the jungle and even deeper into strained relations.