By Michael Bachner - April 27, 2020
Two TV productions aired on a Saudi network on the occasion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan have sparked controversy and accusations of “normalization” with Israel, including by terror group Hamas, after one featured a character calling for better ties with the Jewish state and another highlighted the life of Jews in Kuwait in the 1940s.
The latter show, “Umm Haroun” (The Mother of Aaron), starring popular actress Hayat Al Fahad, features an opening monologue in Hebrew by a Jewish character: “Before our footsteps go missing and our lives fall into memory, we will be lost to time. … We are the [Persian] Gulf Jews who were born in the [Persian] Gulf lands.”
It is the first Arab production to discuss the lives of Jews in the Gulf and their relations with Muslims.
The series, directed by Egypt’s Ahmed Gamal el-Adl and produced in the United Arab Emirates, showcases a Jewish midwife of Turkish origin in Kuwait before she moves to Israel.
Read More: Times of Israel