Israeli Culture Minister Threatens to Revoke Citizenship of Gaza Film Creators

Israeli Minister of Culture and Sport Miki Zohar has sharply criticized the creators of the documentary film "Nezah," which recently won an award at the Venice Film Festival and is considered an Oscar contender. Zohar, speaking on Sunday, vowed to "immediately act to revoke the Israeli citizenship of these despicable creators for treason against the state." He described the film's win as "appalling" and accused the creators of "self-hatred" and betraying their homeland to gain applause from antisemites worldwide. Zohar also reiterated his support for reforms in cinema funding, aimed at preventing Israeli taxpayer money from supporting films that allegedly harm IDF soldiers and the State of Israel.

However, the legal feasibility of Zohar's threat appears limited. Revoking citizenship in Israel is an exceptional measure typically reserved for cases involving terrorism or significant security threats, and there is no known precedent for citizenship being revoked due to artistic expression or a film. "Nezah," produced by The Guardian newspaper and not funded by Israeli entities, presents testimonies from 24 soldiers of Unit 8200 regarding IDF operations in Gaza. The film includes claims of "war crimes and genocide," with interviewees describing intentional destruction policies, collateral damage, and assassinations, allegedly involving artificial intelligence.

During their acceptance speech at the Venice festival, co-creators Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shor expressed gratitude but acknowledged the difficulty of their position, referencing criticism and denial from Israeli politicians and journalists. Abraham specifically cited recent events in Gaza, stating that at least six Palestinian children were killed in the preceding ten days, and that Israeli intelligence officers described the killings as systematic and planned, based on the dehumanization of Palestinians.

This is not the first time Zohar has publicly clashed with Abraham and Shor. He previously attacked their Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," which documented the struggle of residents in Masafer Yatta against home demolitions and displacement, and the relationship between Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Abraham. Zohar then called the film a distortion of Israel's image and sabotage of the country, urging publicly funded institutions not to screen it.