Army Radio Shares Video by Director of Controversial Anti-Israel Film

Army Radio (Galei Tzahal) has re-shared a video on social media platform X featuring Yuval Abraham, one of the directors of the film "N.A.Z.A.", which has drawn significant criticism. In the video, Abraham addresses the controversy surrounding the film, which won a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival, urging the public to watch it before forming an opinion. He emphasized the importance of the testimonies from soldiers and officers featured in the film, stating they speak Hebrew to reach the Israeli public and reveal actions taken in Gaza. Abraham also expressed the filmmakers' intention to distribute the film widely in Israel and called on critics to watch it first.

The re-sharing of Abraham's video comes amid an ongoing debate about the political nature of Army Radio and a previous government decision to close the station, which was later overturned by the Supreme Court. The court ruled that the closure decision was based on improper considerations, specifically the government's dissatisfaction with the station's content. Defense Minister Israel Katz criticized the court's decision, asserting that the government had unanimously believed a civilian radio station with political content had no place within the IDF and vowed to revisit the issue if re-elected.

The film "N.A.Z.A.", co-directed by Abraham and Rachel Shore, has been described as presenting a "blood libel" against Israeli soldiers in Gaza. The official synopsis from the Venice Film Festival claims the film exposes systems behind what it terms the "calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza" by Israel. The 80-minute film, produced by The Guardian and JW Films, relies on anonymous testimonies from 24 Israelis who allegedly served in the military and intelligence systems, making serious allegations about the use of force in the Strip. The film received a lengthy standing ovation at its premiere in Venice, with some audience members reportedly waving PLO and Lebanese flags.

In response to the controversy, Minister of Culture and Sport Miki Zohar has requested that the Ministry of Interior examine the possibility of revoking the Israeli citizenship of the film's creators. Zohar asked for an investigation into the sources and materials used in the film, and whether their acquisition or publication constituted treason or aided an enemy during wartime. The IDF has strongly refuted one of the film's central claims, labeling it a "complete lie" and stating that the testimony it was based on lacked factual support and that the described attack was never planned, approved, or carried out.

The Israeli Film Council announced it would hold an immediate meeting to reconsider the scoring given to film festivals that represent Israel internationally. While affirming Israel's commitment to freedom of expression, the council stated that "N.A.Z.A." crosses a red line by severely defaming IDF soldiers. The council expressed concern over the use of anonymous interviewees, questioning the film's credibility, and lamented the exploitation of Israeli creative freedom for international awards and funding from hostile entities, which harms public sentiment and the memory of the October 7th victims. The council pledged to continue supporting quality, constructive, and diverse Israeli cinema while denouncing any use of filmmaking to harm the country and its soldiers.