Israel Threatens Filmmakers with Citizenship Revocation Over Gaza Documentary

Israeli government officials have launched a series of legal and political attacks against filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor following the success of their documentary, NAZA, at the Venice Film Festival. The film, which won the Special Jury Prize, uses testimonies from 24 anonymous Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers to allege that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) used AI-powered targeting systems to systematically kill Palestinians in Gaza, including claims that strikes were approved despite anticipating 500 civilian deaths.

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar has repeatedly called for the revocation of the directors' citizenship, characterizing the work as treason and a betrayal of the state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the film as part of a wave of global antisemitic incitement and proposed legislation to strip citizenship from those who slander soldiers. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir further labeled the filmmakers a disgrace and an embarrassment to Israel.

In response to the film, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered a legal review and a classified leak probe, describing the allegations as blood libels and deliberate distortions of reality. The IDF has categorically denied the claims, stating the filmmakers could not verify their anonymous sources. Guardian News & Media, the film's co-producer, condemned the authoritarian response and pledged to defend the directors against censorship.

While the government pursues these measures, the Israel Directors Guild and other civil society groups have condemned the threats as attacks on freedom of expression. Abraham and Szor maintain that the film is essential to force the Israeli public to confront the reality of the war.