Egyptian Ramadan series on Gaza ignites debate online

Film studios in the Middle East have started promoting television series due to air during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan - the most important and anticipated time of year for Arab TV. 

Amid ads for family dramas and mysteries, one Egyptian production about Gaza has caused a stir online after its trailer was released late last week.

Sahab al-Ard, or “Owners of the Land” in English, is about members of an Egyptian medical delegation sent to the Gaza Strip during Israel’s genocide in the Palestinian enclave. 

The trailer for the 15-episode series features prominent Egyptian actress Menna Shalaby, who portrays an emergency doctor (Salma) working in Gaza, and prominent Jordanian actor Eyad Nassar (Nasr) playing a Palestinian man living in the besieged territory during the onslaught.

Set to dramatic music, the promo cuts to several scenes, including explosions, patients in a hospital, Israeli soldiers breaking down doors, Palestinian journalists, and Egyptian aid truck drivers.

The ad has sparked a wide range of reactions from social media users, many of whom argue that the series is ill-timed and in poor taste, given Israel's ongoing bombardment of Gaza and the continuously rising death toll in the strip. 

Critics have accused the company of exploiting tragedy for views. 

"Gaza is not a script, and its blood is not promotional material," wrote one X user in reaction to the trailer.

"Whoever turned the tragedy into a TV series is a partner in a moral crime, not an artist."

Another person agreed: "The war is still raging... and here we are spending millions on art that won't solve anything...

"Why don't we donate those millions to (Palestinians) instead?"

Some also accused the actors of hypocrisy, saying that they were not vocal in their support for Palestinians. 

Translation: May God disappoint you, may God disappoint you! People’s wounds still haven’t healed, and you spent the whole two years with your mouths shut, and now you want to trade on people’s pain?

Others suggested that the series aims to repair Egypt's image after over two years of public outrage towards Cairo, viewed by many in the Arab world and beyond as abetting Israel amid genocide and capitulating to western pressure at the expense of the Palestinian cause.

"The people who produced the film forbid peaceful protests in support of Palestine and the people of Gaza," said one Palestinian.

One person on Facebook commented: “We let them be killed and locked them in, and then we made a TV show about their heroism”. 

The series is produced by one of Egypt’s biggest television channels, ON E, which is owned by the Egyptian General Intelligence Service. Middle East Eye has contacted the company for comment.

'Reviving the cause'
 

One group of pro-government social media users have called for a boycott of the show for attempting to highlight the “Palestinian issue” in Egyptian media.

According to these critics, Egyptian media and shows should focus on Egyptian issues only. 
 

Despite the wide range of criticism and speculation about how issues like Egypt's role in Gaza will be portrayed, some online have also praised the filmmakers for producing a show about Palestinians for mainstream media. 

One Facebook commenter said: "I'm glad we started doing meaningful things and reviving the [Palestinian] cause”. 

Others echoed that sentiment and praised the show for sending the “message of the Palestinian cause to the world that abandoned” Gaza. 

"Drama is one the most powerful tools used to envoke emotions, change in perception and in some cases ignite change," said one person.

"If done right, it will be engrande [sic] in people's minds for generations. That's a good thing."

Landing image: Promotional poster for Sahab al-Ard (social media)