New TV series to dramatize October 7 events, amplifying "Israeli victimhood"

A new TV drama titled Red Alert is set to be produced, a five-part series inspired by the events that took place on Oct.7, 2023, in the Israeli Occupation, Variety magazine reported.

The show, developed by Lior Chefetz and co-created by Ruth Efroni, will depict the stories of five citizens caught in "life-or-death" situations as events unfold.

The naming of the series is based on "Israel's" Tzofar - Red Alert emergency service application that pins alerts on dangerous areas on the map of the occupied territory.

Produced by "Israeli"-Australian studio Green Productions in collaboration with Bender Brown Productions and "Israeli" television channel Keshet 12, Red Alert is set to be filmed in "Israel" and will be shot in Hebrew, Arabic, and English. It aims to offer a dramatized retelling of Operation Aqsa Typhoon.

Prominent Hollywood producer and head of Bender Brown Productions, Lawrence Bender, joined the series as the executive producer. Bender has produced several blockbusters including Reservoir Dogs, Inglourious Basterds, Good Will Hunting, and Pulp Fiction.

The series is expected to premiere in October 2025, marking the second anniversary of the events.

 - Controversy -

However, the series’ framing of this single event is seen as a narrow, one-sided narrative that disregards the larger context of violence, suffering, and collective punishment that Palestinians in Gaza have faced in the year following October 7.

In the months following October 7, the Israeli Occupation responded with a brutal military campaign against Gaza, resulting in widespread destruction, 44,249 martyred and 104,746 injured Palestinians, and the displacement of millions.

The widely condemned "Israeli" government has drawn accusations of war crimes and genocide. Gaza's civilian population, already living under a crippling blockade, found themselves trapped in a relentless cycle of bombings, airstrikes, and ground invasions, with minimal international intervention to halt the bloodshed.

The series is seen by many as a deliberate attempt to center "Israeli" suffering while minimizing or even ignoring the horrors experienced by the Palestinian population. In doing so, the show risks contributing to a narrative that depicts "Israel" as the sole victim of violence, further perpetuating a one-dimensional portrayal of the broader "Israeli"-Palestinian struggle.