New York, United States — September 12, 2026
The Controversy at Venice
Following a monumental premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival—where it received a historic 25-minute standing ovation and won the prestigious Special Jury Prize—a new documentary has ignited a fierce political firestorm in Israel. The film, titled NAZA, investigates civilian casualties in the ongoing Gaza war through the lens of 24 anonymous Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers.
In response to the film’s global acclaim, the Israeli government is aggressively pushing back. Over the weekend, Israel’s Culture and Sports Minister, Miki Zohar, publicly announced his intention to strip the film’s directors, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, of their Israeli citizenship.
Allegations of Treason
In a scathing public statement, Zohar condemned the documentary as “vile” and an act of “betrayal” against the state. He accused the filmmakers of harboring “self-loathing” and being willing to harm their homeland “just to get applause from antisemites around the world.”
“I will act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of these despicable creators for treason against the state,” Zohar declared.
His sentiments were echoed by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who called the directors a “disgrace and an embarrassment to the entire people of Israel,” suggesting they would be welcomed in Gaza by Hamas.
Inside the Film’s Allegations
Produced by the UK newspaper The Guardian, the 80-minute documentary derives its name from a Hebrew military acronym (nezek agavi) used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to signify expected “collateral damage”—the estimated number of civilians permitted to be killed in a single airstrike.
According to director Yuval Abraham, the intelligence officers interviewed for the film described the mass casualties in Gaza as “systemic: not by accident, but by design.” The film specifically focuses on the military’s alleged use of AI-assisted targeting systems and mass surveillance to execute strikes, even when high civilian casualties were anticipated.
The IDF has categorically rejected the documentary’s allegations. Military officials criticized the film’s reliance on anonymous sources, stating it is impossible to verify the identities or credentials of the whistleblowers. Furthermore, the IDF firmly denied that artificial intelligence systems determine which targets are attacked, maintaining that all strike authorizations are made by human personnel in strict accordance with military directives designed to minimize civilian harm.
Legal Hurdles and Industry Backing
While Zohar’s threat of revoking citizenship has made international headlines, the process is far from simple. Under Israeli law, a Culture Minister does not have the unilateral authority to strip a person’s nationality. The process requires a formal request from the Interior Minister, approval by the Justice Minister, and final validation by the Supreme Court—a drastic measure historically reserved for individuals convicted of terrorism or severe espionage.
Meanwhile, the Israeli arts community has rallied tightly around Abraham and Szor, who previously won an Oscar in 2025 for their documentary No Other Land. Following Zohar’s threats, more than 200 prominent Israeli filmmakers signed a joint petition defending the directors, arguing that “the central role of art and journalism is to hold a mirror up to the society in which they exist,” regardless of the political fallout.
