(RepublicanJournal.org) – The Israeli counter-terrorism drama “Fauda” became a surprise hit on Netflix a few years ago. Based on the long-running conflict between Israel and Hamas, it won multiple awards for its portrayal of the brutal world of special operations and terrorism. The lines between fiction and reality are starting to blur, though. The ongoing war in Gaza is having an impact on Fauda’s cast.
Idan Amedi – Singer, Actor and Soldier
For Season 2 of Fauda, Idan Amedi joined the cast as Sagi Tzur, a soldier in the Mista’arvim special forces unit who operates undercover among the Palestinians. Amedi, the child of Kurdish Jews who were expelled from Iraq in the 1950s, was already well known in Israel as a singer. In 2010, he appeared on “Kokhav Nolad,” the Israeli version of Britain’s “Pop Idol,” and sang a song about soldiers that became his first single. He went on to release five albums between 2010 and 2020. After the fourth album, 2017’s “Chelek Mehazman,” he launched his acting career with his role as Tzur.
Acting wasn’t Amedi’s second career, though; it was his third. Like all young Israelis, he had an obligation to do military service, and in 2005, he was conscripted into the IDF’s Combat Engineering Corps. His first single, “Pain of Warriors,” was inspired by his time in the army. When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, Amedi was among the tens of thousands of Israeli reservists who were recalled to active service.
Combat engineers are playing a big role in the current war, which is mostly being fought in urban areas and is complicated by Hamas’s network of tunnels and bunkers. As a popular singer and actor, Amedi often appeared in IDF videos; he also spoke out in support of the war, saying it was vital to eliminate Hamas to protect Israeli civilians. He added that he was “willing not to perform or sing for a year” because he was needed as a soldier. In early December, he was one of the first Israeli troops to reach the coast after fighting his way right across Gaza.
The Dangers of War
In Fauda, characters regularly get wounded or killed. Sadly, that reflects the reality of war, and the storm of violence Hamas unleashed last year has already taken its toll on the show. Sound engineer Lior Waitzman, who helped produce the theme song, was murdered in the initial attack on October 7. On November 11, production manager Matan Meir was killed by an IED in a Hamas tunnel. Then, on January 8, it was Amedi’s luck that ran out. He was seriously injured by shrapnel during an operation to destroy a tunnel complex in southern Gaza.
According to Amedi’s father, he was flown to Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer after the attack and had surgery to remove shrapnel. His injuries are apparently serious, but his life isn’t in danger, and he’s now in a stable condition. Fauda’s creators have hailed him as a “real hero” –- and he ran a hero’s risks.
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