Political Commentator Slams Culture Minister Over Film Controversy

Political commentator Amit Segal launched a sharp critique against Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar on Sunday, following Zohar's pledge to revoke the citizenship of the creators of the anti-Israel film "No Other Land." Segal accused Zohar of failing in every reform within his ministry, noting that it continues to fund anti-Israel films with substantial sums. He dismissed Zohar's stance on revoking citizenship as no different from any other citizen's, calling it "empty populism."

Zohar had previously vowed to immediately seek the revocation of Israeli citizenship for the film's creators, whom he described as "despicable" and engaging in "betrayal of the country." He expressed shock at the film's win at the Venice Film Festival, condemning the filmmakers' "self-hatred" and willingness to harm their homeland for international applause.

Zohar stated that his reform in cinema aims to prevent Israeli citizens from funding content that harms IDF soldiers and the State of Israel. The film "No Other Land," by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shore, won a jury prize at the Venice Film Festival. It features testimonies from soldiers of Unit 8200, detailing the IDF's use of artificial intelligence for targeting recommendations during the Gaza war, which allegedly led to civilian casualties, including family members.

The IDF issued a strong rebuttal to the film's claims, stating that it "completely rejects" them. The military asserted that the film relies on anonymous testimonies from individuals whose service and roles cannot be verified. The IDF highlighted that claims regarding national and military strategy are beyond the scope of junior soldiers and that some interviewees are implicated in situations they would not have knowledge of. The military also pointed out misinterpretations of legal terms and internal contradictions within the film's narrative, particularly regarding the intentionality of civilian harm and the concept of genocide.

The IDF reiterated its commitment to operating in Gaza against Hamas in accordance with international law and minimizing civilian harm, while accusing Hamas of systematically operating from civilian areas. The military affirmed its obligation to investigate any individual suspicions of misconduct by soldiers through independent enforcement mechanisms and stressed that decisions regarding strikes are made solely by human personnel, not AI.