The episode also referenced Netanyahu’s ongoing legal troubles and took aim at his wife, Sara Netanyahu, comparing her to “Israel’s Marie Antoinette” and accusing her of misusing public funds for personal benefit.

Vered Weiss, World Israel News

An episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, sharply critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the war in Gaza, has been made unavailable to viewers in Israel.

The HBO comedy show, known for political satire, aired a segment targeting Netanyahu’s wartime leadership, his ties to the United States—particularly former President Donald Trump—and his coalition government.

The episode also referenced Netanyahu’s ongoing legal troubles and took aim at his wife, Sara Netanyahu, comparing her to “Israel’s Marie Antoinette” and accusing her of misusing public funds for personal benefit.

Despite its global release, the episode is blocked from viewing in Israel on YouTube.

Users attempting to access it within the country receive a notice stating that the uploader has restricted the video’s availability.

According to Haaretz, HBO did not respond to a request for comment regarding the decision to block access in Israel.

Last year, comedian and actor Jon Lovitz publicly pushed back against John Oliver following an episode criticizing US support of Israel.

Responding on X, Lovitz defended the U.S.–Israel alliance, writing that it made sense for the United States to back its “democratic ally” over Hamas, the group responsible for the October 7 attacks in southern Israel.

He accused Hamas of launching the assault with the goal of initiating “a never-ending war with Israel” and ultimately seeking the destruction of both the state and Jews globally. He ended his post with, “God bless America. #IstandwithIsrael.”

In a separate message, Lovitz shared a news article with a headline citing confessions by Hamas members about atrocities committed during the October 7 attacks. Addressing Oliver directly, he added, “Please talk about this on your next show.”

The post John Oliver episode criticizing Netanyahu blocked from viewers in Israel appeared first on World Israel News.

A man was arrested for hacking and leaking the final episode of HBO’s “House of the Dragon.”

By Pesach Benson, TPS

A man from the central Israeli town of Givatayim was arrested on Monday for hacking into HBO servers and leaking the highly anticipated final episode of the hit series, “House of the Dragon.” The arrest followed an extensive months-long undercover investigation by the Police’s cyber unit.

“House of the Dragon” is the continuation of the iconic “Game of Thrones” saga.

The investigation was initiated after HBO lodged a complaint regarding a suspected breach into the satellite company’s servers. The hacker had illicitly obtained the confidential season finale episode and distributed it to various pirate websites. The episode was apparently leaked two days before the season finale, which aired in October.

A search of the suspect’s residence was conducted, resulting in the seizure of various digital storage devices and computers. All the evidence collected during the investigation will now be presented to the prosecutor’s office for further evaluation and a decision on potential charges.

According to the police, an anonymous user on one of the social media sites, as well a specific file were both named “Bird,” which later turned out to be the name of the suspect’s cat.

Despite the leak, 9.3 million viewers watched the episode, according to HBO.

Entertainment industry reports suggest that the second season will be aired in 2024.

The post Israeli hacker arrested for giving away end of the plot in hit series appeared first on World Israel News.

HBO Max recently bought the international rights to air Israeli show “On the Spectrum,” a dramatic comedy about autism.

The post WATCH: HBO buys rights to Israeli series on autism appeared first on World Israel News.

American television series will be based on the Ben Caspit book ‘The Netanyahu Years.’ No word yet who will get the starring role.

By Paul Shindman, World Israel News

A new television mini-series about the life and times of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the works, the news website WorldScreen.com reported over the weekend.

The screenplay will be written by American writer and producer Kirk Ellis, who is best known for the HBO biography about America’s second president John Adams on the HBO network and a two-episode special on Anne Frank.

It’s too early to know yet who will get the starring role or be in the supporting cast. The series is being produced by the Tel Aviv-based company Abot Hameiri, which belongs to the Fremantle Company – a worldwide entertainment conglomerate. Fremantle’s U.S. production is based in Burbank, California, and the company is known for producing and distributing scripted and alternative programs for broadcast and cable networks, calling itself “one of the biggest creators and producers of television programming in the world.”

The television series will be based on the bestseller “The Netanyahu Years” by Israeli journalist Ben Caspit. The collection of anecdotes from Netanyahu’s life contains the good and the bad, with Caspit painting a picture of a man who has had a lot of political impact and is a strong leader.

“Kirk Ellis’ track record speaks for itself, so we’re delighted that he is joining this unique project,” Guy Hameiri, co-founder of Abot Hameiri, told WorldScreen.com. “The series is the biggest IP we can deliver out of Israel today to the world, and with Kirk’s esteemed catalog of work, particularly in exploring the lives of high-profile figures, it makes him a perfect addition to this series looking at one of the most influential figures in modern geopolitics.”

“This is an epic political story with a very big philosophical and psychological undertone,” Hameiri said. “At the same time, it will be a scandalous family melodrama that explores how the personal can become political, and vice versa.”

“Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the most complex figures in modern history. His is a life lived on a Shakespearean scale,” Ellis said. “Ben Caspit’s insightful reporting demonstrates how private life always shapes public affairs, and there’s no shortage of conflict—or opinions—when it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu.”

“Bibi” will be the first TV series about Netanyahu’s life, Variety reported. Although he was born in Tel Aviv in 1949, Netanyahu’s father got a teaching position at an American college and he went to high school near Philadelphia before returning to Israel in 1967 to enlist in the IDF, becoming an officer in the elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit that his older brother Yoni also served in.

Netanyahu went back to America to study at MIT, eventually joining Israel’s foreign diplomatic corps and launching his career as Israel’s ambassador to the U.N.

The post ‘Bibi’ docudrama on Netanyahu coming to American television appeared first on World Israel News.

Some 120 bereaved Israeli families sent a letter demanding that HBO clarify that Palestinian terrorism is much more prevalent than Jewish acts of terror.

By World Israel News Staff and AP

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling for a boycott of an Israeli TV channel for producing the new HBO docudrama “Our Boys,” which he condemned as anti-Semitic.

Netanyahu says the series slanders Israel internationally. The show, co-created by Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, presents a dramatized rendition of the chaotic events of June 2014 following the abduction of three Israeli teens in the Gush Etzion area of Judea. It set off a cascade of events leading to that summer’s Gaza war.

Netanyahu has previously accused the Keshet network of “committing a terror attack against democracy.” The station aired leaked reports of a police investigation into corruption charges against him.

Netanyahu says Keshet executives tarnish him “on a daily basis.”

However, the prime minister is not alone in criticizing the HBO series. Some 120 bereaved Israeli families sent a letter to the American entertainment company, demanding that HBO clarify that Palestinian terrorism is much more prevalent than Jewish acts of terror.

The series focuses on the three Jewish teenagers who were kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists, and the murder of a Palestinian teenager by Jewish extremists.

The letter was organized by the Choosing Life Forum.

“The kidnapping and murder of the Jewish teenagers was only one of a series of similar events. The Palestinian murderers receive support from the public and are hailed as heroes. Conversely, the murder of the Palestinian teenager was met with shock, and was condemned by Israeli society,” the families wrote in the letter they sent to HBO.

“Every year, dozens of Jews are murdered due to the ongoing incitement of the PA. The Arab ‘street’ doesn’t condemn the murder of Jews; it supports and reinforces it,” they added.

The post Netanyahu calls to boycott Israeli channel behind ‘anti-Semitic’ HBO show ‘Our Boys’ appeared first on World Israel News.

Over 100 Israeli families who lost loved ones sent a letter of protest to HBO over its new series “Our Boys.”

By Arye Green, TPS

Some 120 bereaved Israeli families sent a letter to American entertainment company HBO protesting the new series “Our Boys,” which depicts the harsh events that led to Operation Protective Edge in Gaza during the summer of 2014.

The series focuses on the three Jewish teenagers who were kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists, and the murder of a Palestinian teenager by Jewish extremists.

The letter sent by the bereaved families, organized by the Choosing Life Forum, demanded that HBO clarify that Palestinian terrorism is much more prevalent than Jewish acts of terror. HBO has declined to comply with the families’ request.

The families said there is a systemic difference in the societal treatment and acceptance of terrorism between the Israelis and Palestinians. While the rare act of Jewish terrorism is condemned and denounced by Israeli society, the Palestinian public supports terrorists who kill Jews. What’s more, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has a law on the books that requires to pay those who carry out acts of terror.

“The kidnapping and murder of the Jewish teenagers was only one of a series of similar events. The Palestinian murderers receive support from the public and are hailed as heroes. Conversely, the murder of the Palestinian teenager was met with shock, and was condemned by Israeli society.” the families wrote in the letter they sent to HBO.

“Every year, dozens of Jews are murdered due to the ongoing incitement of the PA. The Arab ‘street’ doesn’t condemn the murder of Jews; it supports and reinforces it,” they added.

“After my daughter and three other officers were murdered by terrorists, the people in their [Palestinian] neighborhoods handed out candy and celebrated. This repeatedly happens, after every terror attack,” she said.

Palestinians last week gave out sweets to passersby in several cities following the murder of 19-year-old Dvir Sorek. During his funeral and while his body was being interned, Palestinians in the nearby village of Silwad launched fireworks.

Meirav Hajaj, the mother of IDF soldier Shir Hajaj who was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist in 2017, is one of the organizers behind the letter. She said the letter’s contents comes from her own personal experience.

The post HBO’s ‘Our Boys’ sparks anger among bereaved Israeli families for downplaying Palestinian terror appeared first on World Israel News.