Elham Asaad Buaras
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed moves to revoke the citizenship of the filmmakers behind NAZA, a Gaza documentary that won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival, escalating a backlash that has also involved Israel’s culture minister and military leadership.
Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor received the award on September 12 after their 80-minute documentary received a record-breaking 25-minute standing ovation at its Venice premiere.
The film examines Israel’s targeting practices in Gaza through testimony from 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel interviewed anonymously over almost three years. The accounts describe surveillance systems, artificial intelligence and databases used in identifying and assessing targets, and allege that civilian deaths were routinely factored into decisions over military strikes.
One source interviewed in the film claims approval was given for up to 500 civilian deaths in order to kill a single Hamas member. The filmmakers present the testimony as an examination of how military and intelligence systems operated during the Gaza war.
The Israeli military has rejected the film’s portrayal, saying the allegations are false or distorted and criticising the use of anonymous testimony. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has ordered an examination of possible legal action concerning the film, including allegations that classified material may have been leaked.
Culture Minister Miki Zohar first called for Abraham and Szor to have their Israeli citizenship revoked, accusing them of “treason against the state”. He also asked authorities to examine how material used in the documentary was obtained and whether its acquisition or distribution could amount to assisting an enemy during wartime.
Netanyahu subsequently condemned the documentary, saying it portrayed the Israel Defense Forces as war criminals and describing its international reception as part of what he called global antisemitic incitement. On September 17, he said his government would advance legislation aimed at addressing what he described as damage caused to Israeli soldiers, including measures that could facilitate citizenship revocation and increase financial penalties for those accused of defaming them.
The backlash has extended beyond the government. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the filmmakers a “disgrace” and told them to leave Israel, while right-wing activists and journalists have intensified calls against them. A mural depicting Abraham and Szor with crosshairs and the word “traitors” also appeared in Ashdod.
The threats have prompted support from Israeli and international film and human rights organisations. Forty-three Israeli human rights organisations issued a joint statement backing the filmmakers, while more than 1,500 Israeli filmmakers signed a petition defending freedom of expression and calling for NAZA to be screened in Israel.
In his Venice acceptance speech, Abraham said it was important for Israelis to see the film. He also credited Palestinian journalists with documenting the war in Gaza from its beginning, saying their reporting had been “documented and is known from the first day”.
The film’s title, NAZA, refers to a term used within Israeli military intelligence relating to the anticipated number of civilian casualties from an attack. The documentary builds on investigations previously published by +972 Magazine, Hebrew-language outlet Local Call and The Guardian.
NAZA is the latest collaboration between Abraham and Szor. They were previously among the directors of No Other Land, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2025 and focused on Palestinian communities facing displacement in the occupied West Bank.
The Venice award has therefore placed a film examining alleged Israeli targeting practices in Gaza at the centre of an increasingly political dispute inside Israel over freedom of expression, military accountability and the treatment of filmmakers who criticise the government or military.
The documentary is scheduled for screenings in San Sebastián and New York later this month.
