Filmmakers Accused of Defaming Israel at Venice Festival

The creators of the film "NAZA," Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shor, received applause at the Venice Film Festival for a documentary that accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza. The article criticizes the filmmakers, suggesting their work aims to incite international hatred against Israel, similar to their previous Oscar-winning film "No Other Land," which depicted alleged Israeli mistreatment of Palestinians in the West Bank.

The piece argues that despite expert explanations of the low ratio of civilian casualties to combatants in urban warfare during the "Swords of Iron" war, such facts are ignored. It claims Israel made efforts to avoid harming innocents, even delaying strikes when civilians were present and that hostages were not returned alive from Gaza due to these considerations.

The film reportedly features soldiers from Unit 8200 who allege Israel systematically eliminates Palestinians. The article contrasts this with widespread international condemnation of the IDF's actions in Gaza, which it characterizes as a deliberate killing of Palestinian civilians. The filmmakers are accused of de-humanizing Palestinians.

The article also points to political support for the film in Israel, citing Democratic candidates Gabi Lasky and Mossi Raz, and the Directors Guild of Israel, led by Eliran Elya, who previously supported Abraham's film "No Other Land." Culture Minister Miki Zohar has reportedly called the film an act of treason and threatened to revoke the filmmakers' citizenship.

Yuval Abraham is quoted as mentioning the recent deaths of six Palestinian children in Gaza during his acceptance speech, with the article questioning if he is as well-informed about Israeli casualties. The piece concludes by referencing former Unit 8200 commander Yossi Shriel's admission of failure regarding the October 7th intelligence and operational failures, suggesting the filmmakers omitted this crucial context.