Israeli Film Council Convenes Emergency Meeting Over Controversial Documentary

The Israeli Council for Cinema announced Monday it would hold an immediate meeting to address the controversy surrounding the documentary "Nez'a" (Collateral Damage), which recently won the Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. The council will re-evaluate the scoring system for film festivals representing Israel internationally.

In a statement, the council affirmed Israel's commitment to freedom of expression and diverse voices but argued that "Nez'a" crosses a red line, constituting a severe defamation of IDF soldiers. The council also raised concerns about the film's credibility due to its reliance on anonymous interviewees. They expressed regret over creators exploiting Israeli artistic freedom to disparage the country and its soldiers for international awards and funding from hostile entities, while hurting public sentiment and the memory of October 7th victims. The council pledged to continue supporting quality, constructive, and diverse Israeli cinema while denouncing any exploitation of filmmaking to harm the nation and its soldiers.

"Nez'a," directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shore, creators of the Oscar-winning "No Other Land," received a record-breaking 25-minute standing ovation at its Venice premiere. The film reportedly features testimonies from 24 IDF officers who describe alleged Israeli systems and procedures used to harm and kill civilians in Gaza. Upon receiving the award, Abraham stated that Israeli politicians and journalists attacked the film, sometimes without seeing it. He cited recent Israeli actions resulting in the deaths of children and claimed the policy is based on the dehumanization of Palestinians, also alleging that over 200 journalists were killed in Gaza by Israelis and their voices silenced.

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar sharply criticized the film as "despicable" and "self-hating," calling the creators' actions a betrayal of the country. He stated that this is why he led reforms in cinema funding, to prevent Israeli citizens from subsidizing harm to IDF soldiers and Israel. Zohar vowed to immediately seek to revoke the creators' Israeli citizenship for treason.

MK Merav Ben Ari of the "Achadut" party criticized Zohar, calling him a populist and a liar, and stating that revoking citizenship is impossible. She suggested that if the government were more professional, it would have acted before the festival. MK Emily Moatti of "HaDemocratim" also joined the criticism, arguing that citizenship is not a favor and no one dictates what films can be made. She thanked Zohar for inadvertently highlighting the difference between the Israeli public and a "government of vulgar fascists."

Conversely, retired Major General Eitan Dangot told i24NEWS that regardless of the film's professional execution, it is a "shame and disgrace." He questioned whether the creators had spoken with families from the Gaza border communities or those affected by the October 7th attacks, suggesting there were justifiable reasons for a strong response to push Hamas and create a necessary shift.