Israeli Film 'NozA' Sparks Outrage Over IDF Civilian Casualty Claims

The Israeli documentary 'NozA,' which won the Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival after receiving a 25-minute standing ovation, has ignited a fierce backlash from Israeli government officials and parts of the opposition. The film, by Israeli creators Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shore, is built entirely on testimonies from 24 IDF soldiers and officers.

Culture Minister Miki Zohar vowed to revoke the creators' citizenship, calling them "despicable creators" driven by "burning self-hatred." Former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman labeled them "enemies of Israel" who have turned the war into a narrative of "slander and blood libels" against the country, the IDF, and its soldiers.

The IDF itself issued a statement, reportedly before seeing the film, questioning the anonymity of the testimonies and their verifiability, including whether the sources actually served in the IDF or were involved in the described events. The military's response focused on the credibility of the speakers rather than the substance of their claims.

Internationally, significant energy was directed towards the film's title, 'NozA,' which sounds like a combination of 'Nazi' and 'Gaza.' The author notes that while the film raises legitimate criticism about the IDF's initial expansion of acceptable civilian casualties and rapid decision-making processes, it omits crucial context. This includes the concept of Collateral Damage Estimates (CDE) used by NATO countries, which are not unique to Israel and serve as an authority ceiling, not a license to kill. The author also points to a New York Times report indicating the IDF lowered the threshold for civilian casualties for junior officers in November 2023.

The article argues that the film's narrative is incomplete, failing to mention that approximately 80% of Gaza's structures have been damaged or destroyed, and that the reported civilian death toll represents about 3% of the population. The author suggests that a military solely focused on killing those within buildings would have destroyed them entirely. The piece highlights two particularly problematic statements from soldiers in the film: one describing the work as "fun," and another stating, "they are not humans, they are NozA." The author concludes that Israel's strong negative reaction stems partly from a media reality since October 7th, where domestic audiences have been saturated with images of the massacre and its aftermath, while the international community's focus shifted to Gaza after the initial week, creating divergent perceptions of the conflict.