Non-Issue is a Palestinian-Israeli dramedy that starts with a one-night stand gone wrong on a beach in Haifa and ends in Berlin.
The series follows NAOMI, 27, and ALA, 28, an Israeli-Jewish woman and an Arab with an Israeli passport, who both live in Israel and believe that, in 2022, their relationship is no big deal. But reality reminds them at every turn that it is. Their relationship is put to the test by gossipy friends, parents who forget their liberal values when it comes to their daughter, an ex-fiancé who is also a rising political star on the Israeli left, ecstasy-induced anxiety attacks in Ramallah, a stolen car in Hebron, and the “Morning After” pill.
The journey strengthens their love but isolates them from the people closest to them. Finally, they realize that, if they wish to be a “normal couple,” they have no choice but to leave their country.
But in Berlin, faced with the hardships of immigration and alienation, each of them clings to the one thing they are familiar with — their identity. This is when the politics of the Middle East and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict invade their love life and drive them apart.
Ala befriends people from the Arab world, from countries he could never have gone to: Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia and others. He volunteers at an NGO for Syrian refugees, which is where he meets MAY, a Lebanese-German woman. He falls in love with her and with the Arab world. Meanwhile, Naomi finds her dream job at an Israeli art gallery in Berlin. Her work strengthens her Zionism, as she works at “marketing” Israel.
Meanwhile, Germany is becoming less tolerant towards the waves of immigration. Naomi is safe because of her dual Israeli-Polish citizenship, but Ala loses his legal status. They are pushed farther apart. Their relationship finally comes to a head at a gala event at the Israeli gallery, in front of everyone present. Ala moves out of their apartment and gets in trouble with the police, which puts him at risk for deportation. Naomi suggests a deal: a fake wedding. Strictly business. Ala agrees. They get married at the Berlin City Hall, and break up in real life.
But then, just before they say goodbye for the last time, their lawyer lets them know they have to keep living together, to keep up appearances for the immigration authorities. ;