In a news broadcast by Lebanon’s LBCI channel, under a headline announcing that Israel’s military campaign had entered a new phase of confrontation with the political echelon, the network displayed images of Defense Minister Israel Katz, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and the head of IDF Operations, Itzik Cohen.
Only, instead of showing the actual military officer, the broadcast featured a photo of actor Itzik Cohen.
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Actor Itzik Cohen was presented as head of IDF Operations, who has the same name in photo on left the IDF
(Photo: Screenshot LBCI)
The actor, best known in recent years for his role in “Fauda” as Gabi — a Shin Bet department head known by the nickname “Captain Ayoub” — shares a name with the real head of the IDF Operations Directorate, but is not the same person.
Cohen may currently be a recognizable figure in Lebanon due to the local attention surrounding the Israeli television series “Fauda.” A few days ago, a campaign advocating for the boycott of Israel supporters in Lebanon issued a statement accusing Netflix of violating Lebanese law by offering a range of Israeli content — including series, films and documentaries — to local viewers.
The statement claimed that such content promotes “a distorted Israeli portrayal of political and cultural reality,” specifically citing “Fauda” — described as “advancing a security narrative inspired by individuals who served in the Israeli military” — as well as the series “Rough Diamonds” and “Maktub.”
“The monthly subscription fees paid by Lebanese users to the platform, along with the financial benefits this brings to Israeli production companies, constitute a direct economic relationship with a company promoting Israeli content in violation of Lebanese law,” the statement said.
