In January, 'Fauda' star Tsahi Halevi found himself pulled from his role as a soldier – a position he took up again on October 7 – and thrust back into the most important role of his life: being a father. In an upcoming interview with Ynet, set to be published this Friday, Halevi opens up about the jarring contrasts he suddenly faced.
"I was in the reserves until then, and it was interrupted because I had film shoots in Greece," he recalls. "The dissonance between being in Gaza one day and then shooting in Greece the next was something I experienced for the first time. I couldn't fathom how life continued as usual after what I had witnessed. There were moments when, after three days in the Gaza Strip, I would come back, take my son Adam to kindergarten, and then head back to the base.
"You think to yourself, it's just an hour's drive from here – not some distant battlefield. It's right here. The stark contrast is overwhelming; you see destruction, devastation, tanks firing, explosions, and then here people are sipping coffee and listening to music. It's incredibly hard to digest this dissonance. As a parent, I drop my child off at kindergarten and then enter Gaza. I remember praying before each entry, saying, 'Please, let me not sadden my children and Lucy.'"
Halevy also touches on his personal life: He is married to the respected media personality Lucy Aharish, and they have a son who, according to Judaism, is considered Muslim. "When I'm invited to give lectures, they ask me, 'What is the discourse at home?' I try to explain that our discussions aren't about Muslims and Jews; they're about truth, and there's only one truth. We're in a time where suddenly there are many truths. No, a person who murders someone is a murderer, regardless of where they come from. And justice is justice, and justice must be served. Everyone involved in October 7 must be held accountable. Lucy is unequivocal about this too."
He continues: "There is a leadership here that is neither courageous nor professional. There's no doubt that serious soul-searching and scrutiny are needed within the military, but the responsibility of the political leadership cannot be ignored. This isn't a debatable issue for me. In a democratic country, you should be able to criticize your leadership.
"Now, we're in a situation where if you criticize the leadership, you're considered an enemy. Why? Have we become a dictatorship and I wasn't informed? Okay, a government was elected; it needs to care for the entire nation. Then I look at my own story and realize that for some of them, I'm already an enemy –married to a Muslim and assimilated."
Although Halevi recently has been involved in numerous international projects, he acknowledges that some opportunities are likely closed due to the current situation in the country. "I can tell you for sure that it affects things. Last year, I filmed a Swedish series, I have an Indian film and an Argentinian film on Amazon, and there are several projects I've been trying to promote over the past year.
"Before October 7, there was interest and, since then, they don't want to hear about it. In March, my agent in Spain called me and said, 'There's an Italian film that wants you for a role,' I said, 'Great, find out more details.' Half an hour later, he called back and said, 'It's canceled. Not right now.' So yes, it has an impact, and all this talk of 'we don't need anyone, we can manage on our own' is somewhat disconnected. It's arrogant, and this arrogance is problematic, as it tends to blind you."