Israeli filmmakers might lose citizenship for making Gaza documentary
What's the story
In a shocking move, Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar has threatened to revoke the Israeli citizenship of Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the directors of the award-winning documentary NAZA. The film, which recently won a Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, alleges that the Israeli army intentionally targeted civilians in Gaza. Zohar called the film "vile" and its Venice honor "shocking."
Minister's statement
Zohar's statement on X
Zohar took to X/Twitter to express his outrage, saying, "The self-loathing that burns in the creators, who are willing to harm their homeland just to get applause from antisemites around the world, is inconceivable and constitutes a betrayal of the state."
He added that he would "act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship" of these filmmakers as per the English translation provided by X.
Film details
'NAZA's storyline and Venice Film Festival honor
The documentary NAZA, which was a late entry into the Venice competition, received a record 25-minute standing ovation at its premiere.
The film features interviews with Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers who were allegedly involved in the planning or operating systems used during the war in Gaza.
It claims that Israel's targeting practices have resulted in mass civilian casualties.
Filmmakers' response
Abraham defends film amid backlash
In response to the backlash, Abraham defended his work.
He said that the Israeli intelligence officers interviewed for NAZA described the killing of Palestinians as systematic rather than accidental.
"The Israeli intelligence officers we spoke with told us that this mass killing is systemic. Not by accident. But by design," he said.
The film also explores artificial intelligence and automated systems in Israel's targeting process.
Military's stance
Israel Defense Forces reject NAZA's allegations
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have categorically rejected the allegations made in NAZA.
The military questioned the credibility and identities of the film's anonymous sources, stating it could not verify whether they had served in the military or their roles.
The IDF also disputed the film's portrayal of its targeting procedures, asserting that decisions on strikes are made by human personnel and "not by artificial intelligence."
Political climate
Threat comes amid increased scrutiny of filmmakers, journalists in Israel
The threat to revoke Abraham and Szor's citizenship comes amid heightened Israeli political criticism of filmmakers and journalists documenting the Gaza war.
Israel's Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that citizenship could be revoked for a failure to demonstrate loyalty, including acts such as espionage or treason.
This legislation was expanded in 2023 to cover people convicted of terrorism.