Violence drives US shows out of Israel

USA Network has become the latest broadcaster to halt production of a show in Israel following the recent outbreak of violence in Gaza.

The US cablenet will relocate production of upcoming drama Dig to New Mexico and is on the hunt for other new locations.

When violence erupted in Gaza more than a week ago, Dig’s scheduled hiatus on production was extended while producers decided if they could continue to shoot the six-part series in Jerusalem. However, that position has now become untenable.

“Given the current situation and after careful consideration, we are relocating the production of Dig partly to Albuquerque and are continuing to explore other locations,” USA said in a statement.

“Our experience filming in Israel was very positive and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to capture such an authentic landscape that will be threaded throughout the series.”

It follows news this week that FX will permanently relocate production of its Middle East drama Tyrant from Israel to Turkey amid the ongoing violence.

Dig, slated for a debut this fall, follows an FBI agent in Jerusalem who finds himself embroiled in a race to track down a religious artifact.

The series is produced by NBC Universal while Tyrant is produced by 20th Century Fox.