The 50 Years War: Israel and the Arabs: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

The conflict in the Middle East between Israel and its neighbors is given comprehensive treatment in six 50 min episodes produced by PBS. Using archival footage and extensive interviews with participants, the production begins by explaining conditions in Palestine at the end of World War II and the crisis created by the exodus of European Jews who went to the Middle East after the Holocaust. The withdrawal of the British, who had controlled Palestine for decades, is detailed, as is the creation of the state of Israel. Much of the region's history is complex, with the local struggles being conducted at times as a part of the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union, but these videos do an admirable job of explaining the complexities of the situation. The segment on the Six Day War, for example, is masterful, with the scenes shifting from Israel to Egypt to Washington to Moscow.

Series details

• Title: The 50 Years War: Israel and the Arabs
• Format: Documentary
• Language: English
• Genres: War, History
• Premiere date: 1998-01-15
• Final broadcast date listed: 1998-04-19
• Status in TVmaze: Ended
• Network listed by TVmaze: PBS
• Network country: United States
• Typical episode runtime: 50 minutes
• TVMaze ID: 74520
• IMDb ID: tt0204782
• TVDB ID: 158821

Cast and credited roles

• Tim Pigott-Smith — Narrator

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 1998-01-15; final listed air date 1998-04-19.

Source and licence

Adapted from The 50 Years War: Israel and the Arabs on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.