Israeli Filmmakers Face Backlash Over Venice Award-Winning Documentary

An Israeli documentary titled "Naza," which received a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival, has sparked a significant controversy in Israel. The film, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shor, features interviews with 24 anonymous individuals who allegedly served in the IDF or Israeli intelligence. These sources claim that Israeli command was aware of the potential for high civilian casualties in Gaza during operations. One particularly contentious assertion in the film is an anonymous source's claim that a strike was authorized to eliminate a single Hamas militant, with an expected collateral damage of 500 civilian lives.

The IDF has vehemently denied this specific claim, stating they "never planned, approved, or carried out a strike in Gaza that was expected to kill 500 civilians or even close to that number." The military also questioned the ability to verify the identity and claims of the anonymous source, noting that the filmmakers could not confirm the story's veracity but included it nonetheless. The IDF further rejected the film's broader suggestion that artificial intelligence independently selected targets, emphasizing that human decision-making, not AI systems, was responsible for approving targets.

Following the film's premiere and accolades at Venice, Israeli officials reacted strongly. Culture Minister Miki Zohar accused Abraham and Shor of treason, calling their actions a "betrayal of the state" driven by a desire for applause from "anti-Semites worldwide." He vowed to pursue stripping the directors of their Israeli citizenship. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged the filmmakers to "get out," suggesting their "friends," whom he identified as Hamas enemies, would welcome them.

Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli escalated the criticism, comparing Abraham to a "Palestinian nationalist" and stating that individuals like him are "much worse than the Judenrat and Kapos who collaborated with the Nazis under duress." Chikli invoked historical texts about self-hatred within the Jewish community, suggesting the filmmakers "voluntarily cooperate with the Palestinian Islamo-Nazis of our generation" for fame and money.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett described "Naza" as a "blood libel" and expressed pain that such accusations were spread by Israelis. He acknowledged the tragedy of civilian deaths but argued that their existence does not equate to genocide, stating that Israel's ground operations in Gaza demonstrate a commitment to minimizing harm.

Abraham and Shor were previously involved in the documentary "No Other Land," which focused on the conflict around Palestinian settlements in the Hebron area and won an Oscar in 2025. The legal path to revoking the directors' citizenship is complex, requiring a court ruling of treason and involving the Interior and Justice ministers, with potential international law implications if they are rendered stateless.