Given how central politics is to Israeli life and how passionate most Israelis are about it, you might think it would be a mainstay of Israeli entertainment, but except for a few feature films and series, it hasn’t been. Perhaps that is because when people go to the movies, they want to escape from the political discussions that roil everyday life here.
When it comes to the documentary realm, there are enough political films to fill an encyclopedia, and they vastly outnumber feature films and television shows that dramatize or poke fun at the political realm.
But as we head into what is arguably the most contentious election in Israeli history, here is a selective list of feature films and television series that show what Israelis have thought and felt about their political system at different points in the country’s history. Most are available on various streaming platforms, including the Israeli Film Archive (https://jfc.org.il/en).
Twelve movies to enjoy this week
1. Sallah Shabati (1964) – Legendary writer/director Ephraim Kishon dominated the early years of Israeli cinema, and his films always included some kind of dig at the political system, but his criticism was as funny as it was insightful. Sallah Shabati is a classic comedy about a new Mizrahi immigrant (Chaim Topol) navigating Israeli bureaucracy, and it includes the very funny election plotline in which rival parties try to secure his vote. He is in a quandary until he learns about the secret ballot, and then he promises each party representative his vote, in exchange for perks.
I first saw this movie in ulpan, and my teacher promised that if we learned enough to understand every reference in the movie, we would understand just about everything going on in Israel. This turned out to be true, and it’s remarkable how little has changed. It was also the first Israeli movie to be nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Arik Einstein appears in one of his early roles as a kibbutznik who falls in love with Sallah’s daughter.
2. The Big Dig/Blaumilch Canal (1969) – Another Kishon classic, this spoofs how an escaped psychiatric patient’s unauthorized digging upends Tel Aviv as politicians vying for votes in an upcoming municipal election try to take credit for this supposed urban improvement project.
3. The Fox in the Chicken Coop (1978) – A third Kishon film, this stars Shaike Ophir (after whom the Ophir Awards are named) as an aging political wheeler-dealer who visits a peaceful village and introduces political organizations, rivalries, and power struggles into the lives of its residents.
4. The Battle for the Committee (1986) – The battle for power in a tenants’ committee is the subject of this satire by Avi Cohen, starring the comedy trio HaGashash HaHiver.
5. Streets of Yesterday (1989) – Judd Ne’eman’s political thriller about the assassination of Israel’s foreign minister just as he is announcing peace negotiations with the Palestinians turned out to be sadly prescient after prime minister Yitzhak Rabin’s murder a few years later.
6. Time of Favor (2000) – Joseph Cedar’s debut feature is a thriller infused with political themes, as it tells the story of a love triangle set in the milieu of a yeshiva led by a radical West Bank rabbi, played by Assi Dayan, who tries to mobilize an army unit to carry out terrorist acts against Palestinians.
7. Rabin, the Last Day (2015) – Amos Gitai’s docudrama about Rabin’s assassination explores its theme through archival material and dramatized scenes surrounding the Shamgar Commission’s investigation.
8. The 90 Minute War (2016) – Eyal Halfon made a mockumentary proposing that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be settled by a soccer match, which, in the film’s telling, looks like a pretty good idea.
9. Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer (2016) – Another film by Cedar, this one told the story of a failed American-Jewish businessman (Richard Gere), who finds himself in a position to influence the Israeli prime minister (Lior Ashkenazi).
10. The Unorthodox (2018) – Eliran Malka’s dramedy is about the birth of the Shas party and portrays its founders as rather lovable.
11. Silent (2022) – Shemi Zarhin directed this movie about a television interviewer who confronts the rise of a candidate for prime minister who refuses to speak or reveal his positions.
12. Yes (2025) – A provocative political satire by Nadav Lapid, set after October 7, following a musician and his dancer wife who entertain Israel’s elite after the musician is assigned to create a new national anthem.
Television series to enjoy this week
On the small screen, most political satire has been confined to sketch comedy shows, such as Zehu Ze and Eretz Nehederet. But a few others exist, and most can be streamed as well.
1. "War Room" (2005) – Written and created by Yair Lapid, currently one of Israel’s leading politicians, about a fictional unit in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) coordinating national-security decisions, which many felt was inspired by "The West Wing."
2. "Polishuk" (2009-2014) – Sasson Gabai plays an unlikely government minister navigating advisers, rival politicians, scandals, and his own limitations in this political satire, created by Shmuel Hasfari.
3. "The Prime Minister’s Children" (2011-2012) – Created by Shahar Magen and Noa Rothman, the series features Rami Heuberger as the prime minister and follows how his family adjusts to power, public scrutiny, and life inside the official residence.
4. "Shadow Government" (aka "State Rules") (2018) – A political thriller about parliamentary aides whose relationships, ambitions, and intrigues shape what happens in the Knesset.
5. "Autonomies" (2018) – A dystopian drama that portrays an Israel divided between a secular state centered in Tel Aviv and an ultra-Orthodox autonomy centered in Jerusalem, that was created by Ori Elon and Yehonatan Indursky.
6. "Sweetie’s Party" (aka "Motek Bool Ba’emtza") (2021-2025) – Shmuel Hasfari returned to political comedy with this series about a broke former reality-show contestant and social media influencer who enters the Knesset and discovers the world of lobbying, political deals, manipulation, parliamentary power, and mostly, the money and perks that come with the job.