Israel Considers Revoking Citizenship of Filmmakers Behind 'Nez'a'

Israel's Minister of Culture and Sport, Miki Zohar, has prompted an official review into the possibility of revoking the Israeli citizenship of Yuval Avraham and Rachel Shor, the creators of the film "Nez'a". The Director General of the Population and Immigration Authority, Boaz Yosef, has begun examining whether the filmmakers' actions constitute aiding the enemy during wartime or a breach of loyalty to the state.

This move escalates Zohar's campaign against the filmmakers from political statements to a practical examination by the relevant authority. The minister had previously demanded an investigation into whether the film's content and production activities amounted to aiding hostile entities during the ongoing conflict, or betrayal of Israel. Officials at the Population and Immigration Authority emphasized that this is currently only a preliminary legal feasibility study, and no decision has been made regarding the revocation of citizenship.

In parallel, Minister Zohar has also appealed to the head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) to launch a security investigation into the film's production. He seeks to understand how Avraham and Shor obtained the materials used for the film and whether enemy elements were involved in its funding, acquisition, or distribution.

Revoking Israeli citizenship is considered an extreme and rare measure under Israeli law. The Citizenship Law outlines stringent conditions and a high evidentiary threshold for such actions, typically reserved for clear cases of terrorism, treason, espionage, or severe breaches of trust. Such a process usually requires solid evidence, approval from the Attorney General and the Interior Minister, and often a judicial ruling from a district court.