Israel Prepares Defense Against Film Portraying IDF AI as Killer

Israel is preparing a defensive strategy against the film 'NezA', which it views as a targeted assassination attempt on the state, according to Doron Spielman, the Prime Minister's Office spokesperson and head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate. Spielman criticized the filmmakers, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shore, for releasing the film in Italy, a country he claims is highly cooperative with anti-Israel sentiments, without requesting an official response. He noted that even his inquiries to The Guardian, a co-producer, went unanswered.

Spielman described the film as highly effective propaganda against Israel, emphasizing its perceived efficiency and credibility. He stated that Israel's understanding of the film is limited to its trailer and award speeches, making it difficult to formulate a comprehensive response. He expressed particular pain that the criticism comes from within Israel, contrasting it with external efforts by figures like Tucker Carlson. Spielman confirmed that following the film's screening at the Venice Film Festival, Israel's various government bodies, including the Foreign Ministry and IDF Spokesperson's Unit, coordinated to develop messaging for both domestic and international audiences.

Spielman expressed surprise that the film generated significant controversy within Israel but had minimal impact internationally, particularly in the United States and the UK. He suggested this might provide Israel with a temporary advantage, but acknowledged the potential for the film to gain traction, especially with its upcoming screening in New York on October 25th. Israel is actively monitoring the film's reception and has prepared extensive materials to counter its claims, despite many officials, including Spielman, not having viewed the full film.

Spielman characterized the filmmakers' refusal to share the film as evidence of malicious intent and a deliberate attack. He argued that the film distorts Israel's use of artificial intelligence, which is intended to minimize civilian casualties by providing information about the local population to aid in targeting enemies. He asserted that the film falsely claims pilots press a button to kill civilians based on AI data, ignoring that all military actions are human decisions, with AI serving only as an informational tool to enhance decision-making and reduce collateral damage.