In Fall 2008, Link TV presented the U.S. broadcast premiere of the controversial hit Israeli comedy series Arab Labor (Avoda Aravit). Created by Sayed Kashua, a 32-year-old Israeli-born Palestinian journalist, Arab Labor (translated from the Hebrew “Avoda Aravit” which colloquially implies “shoddy or second-rate work”) focuses on Amjad, a Palestinian journalist and Israeli citizen in search of his identity as he seeks high status in the society into which he was born but where his car is searched everyday when he drives from his neighborhood to his job at a newspaper in Jerusalem.

Poking fun at the cultural divide, Kashua and his characters play on religious, cultural and political differences to daringly depict the mixed society that is Israel.  This show marked a milestone on Israeli television as the first program to present Palestinian characters speaking Arabic on primetime. Arab Labor has generated great controversy between Arab and Israeli media and Link TV is premiering the program to the U.S. television audience in order to offer a fresh perspective on Israeli-Palestinian cultural friction while presenting an unbelievably entertaining show that has made an international splash.

Arab Labor is now on DVD!   Get the complete first season on DVD today at 20% off - and a portion of every sale goes to support Link TV.

"…A groundbreaking TV show that finds humor in sharing a homeland."

The Chicago Tribune

"Kashua has managed to barge through cultural barriers and bring an Arab point of view into the mainstream of Israeli entertainment."
The New York Times

Arab Labor Cast

Amjad (Norman Issa): A Palestinian-Israeli journalist working in Jerusalem

Meir (Mariano Idelman): Amjad's Jewish-Israeli coworker at the newspaper

Bushra (Clara Khoury): Amjad's wife, mother of Maya

Amal (Mira Awad): A Palestinian-Israeli attorney to whom Meir is attracted

Articles and Reviews

"Finding Humor and Truth Amid Conflict," Los Angeles Times, November 15, 2008

"Meet the Palestinian Seinfeld," San Francisco Chronicle, November 13, 2008 

"Israeli sitcom about Arabs a hit," Variety, February 1 2008

"TV comedy depicts world of the Arab Israeli," International Herald Tribune, January 7 2008
"'Avoda Aravit' - breaking TV barriers," Jerusalem Post, January 29 2008

Funding for the Arab Labor series has been provided by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.

About Link TV
Link TV is the first nationwide television channel dedicated to providing Americans with global perspectives on news, events and culture.  The channel is available as a basic service in over 31 million U.S. homes that receive DIRECTV and EchoStar's DISH Network. Most of Link TV's original programming is also available for viewing on the Link TV website. Link TV is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and is supported primarily by grants and viewer donations.