Gantz Slams Anti-Israel Film 'Nezah' as 'Lies'

Benny Gantz, chairman of the National Unity party, has strongly condemned the film "Nezah," which recently won an award at the 83rd Venice Film Festival. Gantz described the film, which presents a pro-Palestinian narrative created by two Israelis, as an act of de-legitimization against the State of Israel.

"As a former IDF Chief of Staff and Defense Minister, I state: IDF soldiers and their commanders are among the most moral, humane, and ethical fighters in the world. How do I know? Because I was there. I know in detail the IDF's operations in the Gaza Strip, before October 7, and even more so after it," Gantz wrote. He asserted, "One must be a liar to present Israel as intentionally carrying out killings in Gaza. No army in the world has fought in an urban environment and maintained its purity of arms like the IDF."

According to Gantz, "In the early days of the war, I told a delegation of American generals that no action we take in Gaza can bring back the atrocities committed against us on October 7. Therefore, revenge has never been the goal of the fighting. We are fighting to protect Israeli citizens and to ensure security in the coming decades."

Earlier, Minister of Culture and Sport Miki Zohar stated he would act to revoke the creators' citizenship for "treason against the state." Zohar called the film's win "shocking" and described the creators' "burning self-hatred" as "unfathomable" and a betrayal of their country. He reiterated his push for cinema reforms to prevent Israeli taxpayer money from funding such perceived attacks on IDF soldiers and the state.