Israeli Counter-Film to 'Nezah' Invited for International Screenings

Three Israelis have created a counter-narrative film to the controversial anti-Israel film "Nezah," which has garnered international attention. The Israeli film, titled "Nezah - The True Story," has achieved over 7.5 million views and has led to an invitation for its creators to participate in an international screening tour in the United States and Europe.

The film was conceived by Hagai Gutman, editor of "Israel Hayom," Lt. Col. (Res.) Roi Dano, and attorney Ariel Avraham, as a response to the anti-Israel film made by Yuval Avraham and Rachel Shor. Gutman explained that the idea was born out of frustration with the lack of a counter-narrative, stating, "I was upset. I debated why we should give this thing a platform? I didn't understand why no one was doing anything against it." The primary goal was to present the "other, true, and just side" without apology, depicting Gaza as a "nest of terrorists" where "everywhere you turn, you find terrorists or ammunition."

The Israeli film, available in Hebrew, English, and Russian, has been a significant success, with Gutman noting that "every 5 minutes, 25,000 new people start watching." Avraham emphasized that the "Nezah" controversy is far from over, as the original film has only been shown at closed festivals and events, not yet released to the public. He stated, "The event is still ahead of us. We are preparing now to fly for screenings abroad. Our film is an offensive film that reveals that all the deaths in the Strip have one culprit: Hamas."

Gutman also revealed that the project was executed quickly and without special funding, relying on "goodwill and initiative." He shared that they have received reactions from the opposing side, including a message stating, "Just as you stole Palestine, you will steal our film from us," which he believes "explains everything" about their adversaries.