Now You Can Netflix and Chill in Jerusalem
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Lior Zaltzman January 7, 2016
Good news Birthright goers! You will still be able to binge-watch your favorite shows in Israel.
Netflix launched its services in Israel on Wednesday, according to “The Marker”. After years of the service being locked in the Holy Land, TV fans will now be able to watch their favorite shows the moment they become available on the giant streaming site. (We suggest Chelsea Handler’s “Chelsea Does”, which features an episode in which she visits Israel and rides topless on a camel.)
Unfortunately, the service is still only available in English. No Hebrew subtitles will be offered for the programming or the operating system.
This might deter some locals, but luckily Israelis are known for their impressive English skills, so I’m sure the company will still find more than enough subscribers.
Most of the shows available in the US will be available for streaming in Israel. However, any series previously sold to other providers (like the Israeli Hot, Yes and Celcomm TV, a new streaming service), will not be available on the platform. “House of Cards”, for example, will not be available. So, no Frank Underwood 2016. Sorry.
Netflix is expected to be serious competition for the local TV providers. Some on the internet have even joked that they might slow their internet speeds for streamers of the site (most Israeli TV streaming companies are also internet service providers). However, the local services will still have the language advantage.
The price of a “Netflix” subscription remains the same in every country, and Netflix is offering a free trial month in Israel too.
So now the real question is, how do you say “Netflix and chill” in Hebrew?
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
