Underbelly star Firas Dirani has been axed from the cast of The Office Australia, five months after it was revealed he would star in the sitcom.
After his pro-Hamas video was shared on social media this week, it was revealed that the spin-off’s producers had ‘changed their minds’ and the 39-year-old had left the production before filming had even begun.
Insiders at Amazon Prime Video, the production company behind the highly anticipated series, explained the situation Saturday Telegraph.
“Firass was announced to star in The Office Australia but did not make it into production,” they said.
“There were ‘differences’ before production started.” The production has finished and he is not on the show.’
Underbelly star Firas Dirani has been axed from the cast of The Office Australia, five months after it was revealed he was to star in the sitcom (pictured at SAS Australia 2020)
The Saturday Telegraph states that it is not clear what these “differences” are.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Duran for comment.
Earlier this year, Prime Video revealed that Dirani would star in the remake alongside Felicity Ward, who will play a ‘modern-day David Brent’.
Other stars in the series, which is a spin-off of the cult BBC sitcom and the award-winning American version, are Edith Poore (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Steen Raskopoulos (The Duchess), Shari Sebens.
Firas Dirani is under fire after claiming that those who support Israel ‘support apartheid’
On Thursday, Dirani criticized Australians who support Israel, claiming they “support apartheid”.
The Australian actor shared a video on social media expressing his support for Hamas after the Palestinian militant group launched a horrific attack on the Jewish homeland on Saturday.
Dirani complained that Hamas – which is considered a terrorist group by the Australian government – is being “propagandized against as if it were a terrorist militant group”.
He also compared the plight of Ukraine – which Russia invaded in February 2022 – to Hamas’ cause, suggesting that recent attacks that have killed hundreds of civilians are “Palestinians resisting the oppressors”.
Now deleted clip, obtained from Australiandrew the ire of viewers who called Dirani’s comments “demonic” and called him out for blocking followers who challenged his stance.
“Seeing some people posting messages in support of the Israeli flag and in a way that Hamas is propagandizing as if they are a terrorist militant group,” said Dirani, who has 63,000 followers.
“Not so long ago, the Ukrainian people were armed and fighting against Russia, and they were called heroes and people who resisted, resisted the oppressors, and now when the Palestinians are resisting the oppressors, it has been going on for 75 years, they are labeled as something else.
“They are labeled as terrorists or militants, savages,” he continued.
“They have every right to defend themselves, and for those who support Israel, those who put up the Israeli flag, you support apartheid, you support apartheid, period.”
Carly Shamgar, who claims the actor blocked her, said his comments were “cowardly and shameful”.
Palestinian militants return to the Gaza Strip with a body on Saturday, October 7
“I wondered if he was really stable, he sounded demonic, it really scared me,” Ms Shamgar told The Australian.
“I was on a WhatsApp chat with my friends and we couldn’t believe what we were hearing, with a platform like that of 63,000 people and the ability to share on Instagram, it’s just not right.
“It’s cowardly and shameful, if you want to have the audacity to go on camera in front of 63,000 followers proclaiming that Hamas is not a terrorist organization and has every right to do what it did, then you need to engage in civil conversation with the people who actually cause.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Duran for comment.
Israelis were wrapping up the week-long religious holiday of Sukkot on Saturday morning when a Palestinian militant group dropped about 2,200 bombs from Gaza.
Palestinian militants wave their weapons as they pass through Israeli territory on trucks
People flee clashes between Palestinian groups and Israeli forces in Gaza City after earlier airstrikes
The bloodshed marked an escalation in the decades-long military and political conflict between Israel and Palestine.
In Israel, at least 900 people have been killed and more than 2,300 injured by Hamas forces – including dozens of foreigners from the US, Thailand, Nepal, France, Ukraine, Great Britain, Brazil and Canada.
Among those killed were young people who had traveled to attend the Supernova dance festival near Kibbutz Reim, in southern Israel near the Gaza Strip.
The footage shows horrific scenes, including festival-goers running for their lives and Palestinian groups celebrating as they paraded the naked body of a German woman on a truck through Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority estimates that 560 people – including many civilians – have been killed and another 2,900 injured in Gaza in retaliation attacks.
The killing of civilians drew widespread condemnation from world leaders and prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say the country was at “war”.
Smoke rises from an explosion caused by Israeli airstrikes on the border between Egypt and Rafah, in the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday
World leaders and diplomats – including Australian politicians – have thrown their support behind Israel.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the “despicable attack on Israel” on Sunday morning, tweeting that Australia “stands with our friend Israel at this time”.
“This is a horrible circumstance that people didn’t expect,” he later told ABC Insiders.
“Of course we are worried about the escalation.
“There is no precedent for what is happening here.”
The conflict has caused tension on Australian shores as Israeli and Palestinian supporters clash.
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Sydney Opera House on Monday night to demonstrate against the iconic building’s illuminated sails in support of Israel.
The incident sparked outrage as pro-Palestinian protesters were allowed to shout vile anti-Semitic comments, while counter-demonstrators were ordered to stay home and arrested for attempting to fly an Israeli flag.
The terrorist is seen forcing the Israeli woman into a car before she is taken to the Gaza Strip