Israel’s culture minister seeks revocation of filmmakers’ citizenship after Gaza documentary

Israel’s culture minister Miki Zohar has asked authorities to investigate and consider revoking the citizenship of Naza co-directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, after their documentary alleges the Israel Defense Forces carried out mass civilian killings in Gaza, the ministers office said following the film’s Venice premiere.

The 80-minute documentary, produced with reporting by the Guardian, presents on-record accounts from 24 unidentified Israeli military and intelligence officers describing AI-powered targeting systems used in Gaza operations. The filmmakers say the film “details the systems behind Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”

In his post on X and a letter to Israel’s Interior Ministry, Zohar called the film’s claims “false and distorted” and invoked the country’s Citizenship Law, which allows revocation for a “breach of allegiance to the State of Israel.” He also requested investigation into how the materials were obtained and whether any actions amounted to aiding the enemy during wartime.

The Gaza health ministry, run by Hamas, reports more than 73,000 Palestinians killed, including over 20,000 children, since the war triggered by the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack; UN sources consider those figures reliable. The October attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and left 251 taken hostage, according to the original report.

Abraham and Szor, who previously won an Oscar for No Other Land, received a 25-minute standing ovation and a special jury prize when Naza premiered at the Venice Film Festival. They said the film’s reporting was rigorous and offered insider testimony on operations in Gaza.

The IDF initially “categorically rejected” the allegations and later, through spokesperson Brig-Gen Effie Defrin, called the film’s promotional material a set of “serious and false allegations.” The IDF invited the filmmakers to allow representatives to view the full film so the army could address each allegation on its merits.

Other Israeli politicians publicly criticised the documentary, with former prime minister Naftali Bennett calling it a “horrific blood libel” and former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman labelling the directors “haters of Israel.” More than 700 film-industry figures signed a petition defending the filmmakers against what they described as a campaign of incitement and vilification. Actor Shlomi Elkabetz said the questions raised in the film “must be examined, not silenced.”

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The film’s Venice premiere and subsequent political response have triggered a formal request by the culture minister to probe the filmmakers’ actions and consider citizenship revocation, while the IDF has challenged the film’s claims and sought access to the full work to respond point by point. Public reactions include high-profile denunciations and industry support for the directors, all based on statements contained in the original report.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• Naza is an 80-minute documentary alleging systemic targeting of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, based on testimony from 24 unidentified Israeli officers.
• Culture Minister Miki Zohar requested investigation and cited the Citizenship Law to consider revoking the directors’ citizenship for alleged disloyalty.
• The IDF rejected the allegations, invited review of the full film, and leading politicians both condemned the film and industry figures defended the filmmakers.