Full Breakdown
Israeli Documentary “NAZA” Wins Venice Jury Prize Amid Government Push to Strip Filmmakers’ Citizenship
By Drooid · · How we work
The Award and the Backlash
The 80-minute documentary NAZA, directed by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, received the Special Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. It premiered on September 10, 2026 and was followed by a standing ovation of about 25 minutes. The title refers to the Hebrew military acronym for “collateral damage.”
Within days, culture minister Miki Zohar announced plans to revoke the directors’ Israeli citizenship, calling the film “vile” and accusing them of “treason.” The Israel Defense Forces issued a statement rejecting the documentary’s allegations and questioning its anonymous sources.
Background & Context
The film builds on reporting by +972 Magazine, Local Call and The Guardian, featuring interviews with 24 Israeli military or intelligence personnel about AI-driven targeting systems used in the Gaza war that followed the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. The filmmakers contend civilian deaths were “systemic, not accidental.”
Israel’s citizenship-revocation law, upheld by the Supreme Court in 2022, allows stripping nationality for “disloyalty” such as espionage or treason. An expansion in 2023 added terrorism convictions, though revocations remain rare.
Official Statements & Responses
- Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir pledged “every tool at our disposal” to counter the film.
- The Interior Ministry noted that revocation requires ministerial approval and judicial review, emphasizing that the measure is legally possible but seldom applied.
Criticism & Opposition
Politicians Tally Gotliv, Avigdor Liberman and former prime minister Naftali Bennett denounced the documentary as a “disgraceful lie,” “campaign of slander” and “blood libel.”
A coalition of over 700 film-industry professionals signed a petition defending the directors’ right to artistic expression, describing the backlash as a “campaign of incitement and vilification.”
Data & Statistics
- Special Jury Prize awarded on September 12, 2026.
- Casualties: Gaza’s health ministry reports more than 73,000 Palestinian deaths (including over 20,000 children) since the war began; Israeli figures record 1,221 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages from the October 7 attack.
- The documentary features 24 anonymized Israeli interviewees.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The identities and ranks of the 24 interviewees remain unverified, a point highlighted by the IDF as undermining the film’s credibility.
Why It Matters
The controversy pits freedom of expression against national-security claims. If the citizenship-revocation request proceeds, it could set a precedent for penalizing artists who criticize state policy, raising questions about dissent in wartime Israel. The episode also draws international scrutiny of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, with human-rights groups labeling the actions “genocide” and prompting diplomatic pressure from the United States and the European Union.
What’s Next
- Screenings: San Sebastián International Film Festival on September 23 and New York Film Festival on September 26.
- Legal review: The IDF’s legal team, led by the Military Advocate General, will assess possible charges against the filmmakers.
- Political debate: Lawmakers are expected to discuss the proposed citizenship revocation in the Knesset, while the Israeli Film Council will reassess festival-scoring criteria.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I will act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of these despicable creators for treason against the state,” — Miki Zohar, culture minister
- “Based on what has been published thus far, this is not a film offering criticism of the IDF, nor is it an attempt to establish the truth. It is based on blood libels, deliberate distortions of reality, and grave, false accusations against IDF soldiers and commanders,” — Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, IDF chief