'NAZA' gets rebuttal documentary by IDF members
What's the story
As the controversial documentary NAZA, which recently bagged a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival, continues to draw global attention, a counter-documentary has emerged. Titled NAZA: The Real Story, this 49-minute film was created by Lt. Col. Roi Danino, a member of the right-wing Israel First party; Ariel Averbuch, a reserve major in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and an influencer; and content editor Hagai Gutman. It presents an alternative perspective on the events depicted in NAZA.
Counter-claims
Original documentary and its premise
The original 80-minute documentary, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, features interviews with 24 Israeli military intelligence officers and soldiers. It explores the killings of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
NAZA is an acronym used by Israeli intelligence to denote the expected number of civilian casualties in an airstrike.
The rebuttal film counters these claims, stating that Hamas operated from within civilian areas, using weapons hidden in homes, schools, mosques, and hospitals, per Variety.
Film's objective
What does the rebuttal film show?
The rebuttal film aims to give viewers a closer look at the conditions faced by IDF officers, the dilemmas they encountered, and how they describe the conduct of the war.
It argues that IDF operations were conducted under strict rules of engagement due to Hamas's tactics of using civilian areas for combat.
IDF's stance
IDF had earlier criticized 'NAZA'
Last week, the IDF had criticized NAZA, calling it "manipulative," "misleading," and based on "substantial factual errors."
The Jerusalem Post reported that the creators of NAZA: The Real Story are using digital influencers and grassroots international networks to distribute their footage directly to global policymakers and journalists.
It added, "For the production team, the ongoing clash is a high-stakes war over who dictates the historical record to the international community."