Israel’s culture minister has announced plans to seek the revocation of citizenship for the creators of the controversial documentary “NAZA” following its recognition at the Venice International Film Festival. The 80-minute film, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, captured the Special Jury Prize over the weekend. The documentary features interviews with 24 individuals described as Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers. These sources allege that artificial intelligence targeting systems were utilized in Gaza to kill Palestinian civilians. Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar condemned the film’s success as shocking and labeled the creators’ actions a betrayal of the nation. In a social media post, Zohar stated that the filmmakers were willing to harm their homeland to gain international applause, announcing his intention to pursue the stripping of their citizenship. Under Israeli law, revoking nationality is a complex process requiring an official request from the interior minister, approval from the justice minister, and subsequent validation by judges. On Monday, Zohar confirmed he contacted officials at the Population Authority and Ministry of Interior to investigate the denial of citizenship based on breach of trust and cooperation with the enemy. He also called for an examination into how the documentary materials were obtained and whether the production aided enemies during wartime. Other government officials joined the condemnation. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized the filmmakers on social media, calling them a disgrace to the Israeli public. The directors previously won an Oscar in 2025 for “No Other Land,” a project focusing on Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. During the Venice screening, Abraham told the audience that the film’s anonymous sources described systemic mass killing driven by the total dehumanization of Palestinians. In response, the Israel Defense Forces dismissed the claims, stating that the identities of the whistleblowers cannot be verified and reiterating that the military does not deliberately target civilians. Critical reception of the film has been divided, with industry publications describing it as a powerful, urgent work that provokes profound outrage regarding the current Israeli regime.
Source: cbsnews.com
