The trilingual performer was rapidly gaining ground – and then Covid hit. A new documentary follows her time in quarantine, where compassion bridged cultural divides
Israeli satirist Noam Shuster was forging a career path in comedy when, overnight, her name spread across the Arab world. During an Arabic-language slot on Israel’s i24 news channel in 2019, Shuster joked that, at just under 6ft and 32 years old, she was being urged by her family to find a partner. She was, she said, aiming high – so which potential suitor sprang to mind? “MBS, hello,” said Shuster, using her fluent Arabic to directly address Saudi Arabia’s towering crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and asking him to support a fictitious political party so they could work together for peace.
The UN peace worker turned comedian awoke the next day to Arab media headlines about the proposal. Whether seen as satire on a potential peace that had entirely bypassed Palestinians, or a serious marriage offer, the clip raced across Middle Eastern media, from Moroccan news sites to the BBC’s Arabic service. The whole episode put rocket boosters under Shuster’s already accelerating career, which has seen her become a favourite across the Arab world as well as picking up gigs on the global comedy circuit.
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