Fans call for a 'Money Heist' boycott after cast openly praises Israel

Fans of Netflix’s hit Spanish drama Money Heist (La Casa De Papel) are rallying to boycott the series after cast members praised Israel during a recent interview, reported The Gaza Post.

The cast appeared on Israel’s Channel 12 to promote the fifth season of the show ahead of its release on Sept. 3, where they were asked about their visit to Israel.

Actor Darko Peric, who portrays Helsinki, was quoted as saying: “It was a marvellous experience and I hope to come back again. I know that there are a lot of fans here, and the people here are great.”

“When people travel to Israel, they always talk about strict security and police measures, but when I arrived here even the police wanted to take pictures with me. It was great!” he further shared about his experience in Israel.

Hovik Keuchkerian, who plays the role of Bogotá in the hit Spanish series also expressed his wish to visit Israel, saying that he had heard “wonderful things” about the country, even going as far as to praise the Israeli drama Fauda that features Israeli commandos carrying out missions in occupied Palestinian territories.

The comments did not go down well with fans of the show, however, who took to social media to express their disdain at the cast’s blatant support of the Israeli apartheid regime.

Palestinian activist Omar Ghraieb took to Twitter to slam the show, saying, “Turns out @lacasadepapel‘s cast sang praises about the Israeli occupation & the drama they produced inspired by oppressing & killing Palestinians. What a shame.” 

Turns out @lacasadepapel's cast sang praises about the Israeli occupation & the drama they produced inspired by oppressing & killing Palestinians. What a shame. #BoycottLaCasaDePapel #lecasadepapel https://t.co/kq07R1gPox

— Omar Gaza 🇵🇸 (@Omar_Gaza) September 4, 2021

Another user tweeted, “While millions of Money Heist fans wait for the fifth season, performers from the successful show appeared on an Israeli channel, expressing their support for the Israeli occupation…”

While millions of Money Heists fans wait for the fifth season, performers from the successful show appeared on an Israeli channel, expressing their support for the Israeli occupation and celebrating its criminal activities against Palestinian #BoycottLaCasadePapel #BDS pic.twitter.com/YoD5FZIk1b

— Ghali ⵣ 𓂆 🇵🇸 🍉❁ UpTheRebels! (@Ghali_Zayane) September 5, 2021

“How can a show that is supposed to embody the meaning of a revolution denounce, disrespect and demean the Palestinian struggle?” asked another.

How can a show that is suppose to embody the meaning of a revolution denounce, disrespect and demean the Palestinian struggle? If performative was a Show it’d be Money Heist. #BoycottLaCasaDePapel #lecasadepapel #FreePalestine #EndTheOccupation #BoycottMoneyHeist

— map (@pamelaemanuel) September 8, 2021

Fans of the show also called upon cast member Alba Flores, best known as Nairobi on Money Heist, to speak up against her fellow castmates – Flores had earlier expressed solidarity with Palestinians in May during the height of Israeli aggression against in Gaza.

https://twitter.com/V_Palestine20/status/1434550808167821315

Several people also took to the show’s IMDb page to leave negative reviews after the interview started doing rounds on social media. One such review read: “The cast should stop showing their love for an apartheid state that kills Palestinians, destroy their homes and steals their land.”