Netanyahu Proposes Revoking Citizenship for Critics of IDF

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to introduce two government bills in the Knesset targeting individuals who slander the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The proposed legislation would allow the state to revoke the citizenship of those found guilty of defaming soldiers and increase statutory damages for defamation lawsuits by 20 times. Netanyahu characterized such criticism as "global anti-Semitic incitement" and stated that those who defame the military have "no place among us."

The move follows the release of the documentary NAZA, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, which won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. The film uses testimonies from 24 anonymous military and intelligence sources to allege that the IDF used AI-assisted systems to select targets in Gaza, treating mass civilian deaths as acceptable collateral damage. The IDF has rejected these claims as "completely false" and "blood libels," while military chief Eyal Zamir ordered a legal investigation to identify the anonymous sources.

Reaction within Israel has been sharply divided. While Culture Minister Miki Zohar accused the directors of treason, President Isaac Herzog stated that efforts to strip the filmmakers' citizenship have "no chance," though he described the film as a "shame and disgrace." The controversy has spilled into the streets, with protesters led by Mordechai David demonstrating outside the Savyon home of Rachel Szor's parents and hostile murals appearing in Ashdod. The filmmakers have defended their work, arguing it is essential for Israelis to recognize the government's actions in Gaza.