Apple TV+ series on Israeli soldier sparks boycott calls online

Islamabad: Social media users have called for a boycott after Apple TV+ announced a new series based on the capture and rescue of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

The upcoming production is titled Wild and is being developed as a six-episode series. It is based on the events surrounding Shalit’s capture by Hamas in 2006 and his release in 2011 in a prisoner exchange deal.

The project is being produced by Apple TV+ in collaboration with Keshet Studios and is adapted from the book Out of the Wilderness by Noa Ben Artzi-Pelossof. The series is being written and executive produced by Moshe Zonder, who is known for Fauda and Tehran, while Ayelet Menahemi is attached to direct.

The announcement prompted criticism online, with many users accusing Apple of promoting an Israeli narrative while the war in Gaza continues. The backlash centred on the timing of the series and its subject matter, with users arguing that a production focused on an Israeli soldier ignored the wider suffering of Palestinians.

One user wrote “apple tv making a show about an israeli soldier while palestinians are being slaughtered in real time is beyond dystopian”

Another post said, “Boycott Apple TV+”

Several users contrasted the planned series with the humanitarian situation in Gaza and questioned the platform’s editorial choices. Some described the project as propaganda, while others said entertainment companies were helping normalise Israel’s actions through selective storytelling.

One social media user said “There are no words for how evil this is.”

Another wrote, “Apple TV is making a thriller about the rescue of an Israeli soldier while Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Boycott Apple.”

Series based on Gilad Shalit case

Shalit, an Israeli soldier, was captured in 2006 by Hamas and held in Gaza for five years. He was released in 2011 in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

The series will dramatise the years between his capture and release.

The online reaction reflects broader anger over media and entertainment portrayals related to Israel’s war on Gaza, particularly when such projects are announced during the ongoing conflict.