Lior Raz, the acclaimed actor from the popular television series Fauda, has reportedly gone to southern Israel to help families trapped amidst the conflict with Hamas. Raz claims he made the journey alongside “brave brothers in arms” to Sderot, a city situated directly on the Gaza border. A video shared by Raz on social media displays him and Avi Issacharoff, co-creator of Fauda and a journalist, taking shelter while rockets are launched overhead. Both men have backgrounds in Israel’s undercover Duvdevan counter-terrorism unit.
Raz detailed his experience in a post: “Together with Yohanan Plesner @yplesner and Avi @issacharoff, I set off to the south to join hundreds of brave ‘brothers in arms’ volunteers who were working relentlessly to support the population in southern Israel.” The group was dispatched to Sderot, which had been heavily bombarded, to evacuate two families. Although the posted video was shared on Monday night, Raz did not specify when it was recorded.
Sderot was among numerous locations targeted by Hamas during their unexpected attack on Saturday morning. A tragic incident at a bus shelter resulted in nine people being shot dead. The other individual mentioned in Raz’s post, Yohanan Plesner, is the president of the Israel Democracy Institute and a former politician. He was previously part of the Sayeret Matkal unit, an outfit modelled after Britain’s SAS.
In Fauda, which has gained international recognition after featuring on Netflix, Raz portrays the leader of an undercover Israeli unit. The show sheds light on both sides of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and its human toll.
People have commended Raz and his companions for their brave actions in rushing to help their fellow countrymen during such perilous times. Many were sheltering at home while conflict ensued around them. One social media user remarked, “It’s not often that art intersects with life in such a visceral way. Thank you for your bravery. Be safe.” Another user added, “Like an episode of Fauda in real life. You are a brave human being standing up for your family, and your fellow citizens. I pay tribute to you, and other very brave Israelis like you. Thank you xx.”