Former IDF Official Slams Documentary on Civilian Casualties

Former IDF Brigadier General (res.) Noam Tibon has strongly criticized the creators of the documentary "Nez'a," which won an award at the Venice Film Festival. Tibon, a senior figure in the "Behad" party, stated in an interview with "Sari and Schlesinger" on Walla News that he was pained to see the filmmakers receive applause. He expressed discomfort with anonymous filmmaking, questioning the identity and motives of the creators.

Tibon, who was responsible for investigations into harm to uninvolved individuals after the "Protective Edge" operation in Gaza, vehemently denied the film's claim of "incidental damage" of 500 people from a single bombing. "There is no such thing as incidental damage of 500 people in a bombing, these are lies," he asserted. He explained that before any strike, a forum discusses the attack, and the approved collateral damage depends on intelligence quality and other factors.

"When a plane goes out to bomb, there is a forum that discusses the attack. The approved collateral damage depends on the strength of the intelligence and other factors," he elaborated. "Israel as a whole does not harm civilians. Civilians are killed in war. When we compare ourselves to the world, we are in a good place."

Tibon further argued that the film caused significant damage to Israel's image. He contrasted it with other productions, like a Canadian film about him that won an award in Toronto and the series "Fauda," suggesting that positive portrayals are possible. He also criticized the Israeli government for a perceived lack of effective public diplomacy, singling out Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar for focusing on passports for special individuals instead of addressing this issue.