The documentary film "Naza" won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, sparking a wave of controversy in Israel, after Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar threatened to revoke the citizenship of the film's makers, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Tzur, accusing them of harming the state during the war.
The duo won the award on Saturday, September 12, for their documentary film that deals with the Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip, and includes accusations that the Israeli army caused the death of large numbers of civilians.
A film based on the testimonies of anonymous intelligence personnel
The 80-minute film "Naza" focuses on interviews with 24 members of Israeli intelligence whose identities have not been revealed. The interviews were conducted at night on the rooftops of buildings in Tel Aviv, where participants provided accounts and details about the mechanics of their work during military operations.
According to the film, these soldiers revealed information that the two directors described as secret, and they talked about targeting systems supported by artificial intelligence used in the bombing of the Gaza Strip, stressing that these operations contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.
The film's title, "Naza," refers to an abbreviation for a Hebrew phrase said to be used to estimate the number of civilian casualties expected in any military strike, i.e. "expected casualties."
Zohar: Freedom of expression is not a license for treason
Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar sharply criticized the directors, saying that they were prepared to "harm their homeland in order to obtain evaluation and applause from anti-Semites around the world."
In a post on the “X” platform, Zohar said that he asked the competent authorities to investigate how the filmmakers obtained the materials contained in it, and to find out who provided them with it, and whether the process of obtaining or publishing it included actions that could be considered “aiding the enemy in times of war.”
He also wrote: “I will immediately work to strip these two despicable creators of their Israeli citizenship on charges of high treason against the state.”
Agence France-Presse quoted him as saying: “Freedom of expression is not a license to betray the state, and everyone who acts against Israel in times of war must know that there is a price to pay.”
Ben Gvir and Netanyahu join the criticism
The far-right Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, joined the film's critics, describing the directors on the "X" platform as a "shame and embarrassment" to Israel.
He added, according to the German News Agency: "I am sure that your friends, that is, our enemies Hamas in Gaza, will welcome you with open arms."
It is noteworthy that Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist armed group, is classified by Germany, the European Union, the United States and other countries as a terrorist organization.
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the documentary as “shocking,” and said in a video clip he posted on the Telegram application: “It is shocking. We are fighting global anti-Semitic incitement, and when it comes from within us, it becomes unbearable.” He added, "Now two Israeli directors who portray the IDF as war criminals are receiving applause at the Venice Film Festival."
The Israeli army: fabrications and deliberate distortion of reality
Netanyahu's statements came after a statement by Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir in which he said that the film constitutes an attack on Israel. Zamir said, "Based on what has been published so far, this is not a film that presents criticism of the IDF, nor an attempt to reveal the truth. Rather, it is based on bloody slander, deliberate distortion of reality, and dangerous and false accusations against IDF soldiers and leaders."
The army said that Zamir directed the military prosecutor, whose legal powers are limited to the military, “to study and take possible legal measures related to the film and the people involved in it.”
In turn, the Israeli army criticized the film's reliance on testimonies attributed to anonymous sources, and challenged the validity of one of the stories contained in it, which states that the army approved an air strike that resulted in the deaths of 500 civilians.
The army said in a statement issued on Monday: “The filmmakers could not verify the validity of this claim, as there is no real evidence to support it, yet they published it.”
The statement added that the information related to the person who gave this testimony cannot be independently verified, whether related to his military service or the role he held.
An Israeli army spokesman also denied deliberately targeting civilians, accusing Hamas of establishing military infrastructure inside civilian areas.
Abraham defends the film and sticks to its content
On the other hand, director Yuval Abraham defended the film's content, saying that the intelligence officers who participated in the interviews spoke of "systematic mass killings."
He added: "The Israeli intelligence officers we met spoke to us about the fact that these mass killings were systematic, and not the result of a mistake, but rather intentional and determined," according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Reuters was unable to contact the film's makers to obtain a comment. Abraham said in his award acceptance speech on Saturday, "We believe that denying the crime is what helps it continue, and that is why it is very important for us that the Israelis watch this film, because it is our country that is committing these crimes."
Can Israeli citizenship be withdrawn?
Israeli law allows the state to revoke citizenship in specific cases, although this procedure is rarely used.
In 2022, the Israeli Supreme Court approved the possibility of revoking the citizenship of people convicted of crimes such as espionage or treason. The scope of the law was also expanded in 2023 to include those convicted in cases classified as “terrorism.”
Thus, the threats of the Israeli Minister of Culture open the door to a legal and political debate in Israel, and the possibility of applying citizenship withdrawal procedures in such cases.
p.sh/a.j.m (dpa, AFP, Reuters)
