Arab Labor


Arab Labor is an Israeli sitcom television series, created by the Arab-Israeli writer and journalist Sayed Kashua.

History

The series premiered on Keshet Channel 2 in Israel in 2007. The second season was broadcast in 2008 and the third season in 2012. The series, whose title in colloquial Hebrew carries the implication of "shoddy or second-rate work", focuses on the family and work situations of Amjad, an Arab-Israeli journalist. Much of the comedy is derived from the paradox of Amjad's love-hate relationship with his Arab identity and his simultaneous wish to integrate comfortably into Israeli society.
Poking fun at the cultural divide, Kashua's characters play on religious, cultural and political differences to depict the mixed society prevalent in Israel.
In the United States, the program aired nationally on Link TV. It also appeared on KCET in Los Angeles in 2014.
The show has won two consecutive Awards of the [Israeli Television Academy] for Best Comedy Series.

Cast

  • Amjad Alian – An Arab-Israeli journalist working in Jerusalem
  • Meir Cohen – photojournalist, Amjad's Jewish-Israeli coworker at the magazine
  • Bushra Alian – Amjad's wife
  • Amal – An Arab-Israeli attorney to whom Meir is attracted
  • Ismael, Abu Amjad – Amjad's father
  • Umm Amjad, ) – Amjad's mother
  • Maya Alian – Amjad and Bushra's daughter
  • Natan and Timna - Joined in Season 2, neighbors of Amjad and Bushra
  • Yoske and Yocheved - Seasons 2 and 3 only, neighbors of Amjad and Bushra
  • Ami Schuster - Joined in Season 3, Amjad's agent

    Reception

The Chicago Tribune described it as "... a groundbreaking TV show that finds humor in sharing a homeland." The [New York Times] commented, "Kashua has managed to barge through cultural barriers and bring an Arab point of view... into the mainstream of Israeli entertainment."

Reviews