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Netanyahu Orders Investigation and Prosecution of NAZA Documentary Participants
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Netanyahu Calls for Probe of NAZA Documentary Participants
On October 11, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. NAZA to launch a criminal investigation.
Documentary NAZA and Its Allegations
NAZA, directed by Oscar-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor and produced by *The Guardian*, won the Special Jury Prize at Venice and has screened in more than 50 countries. The 80-minute film presents anonymous testimony from 24 Israeli soldiers and intelligence personnel whose faces and voices were digitally altered. It claims the Israel Defense Forces used AI-driven targeting systems—codenamed “Lavender” and “Where’s Daddy”—to select strikes in Gaza, often with knowledge that civilians were present. The title derives from the Hebrew acronym NAZA (nezek agavi), a euphemism for “collateral damage.”
Numbers Highlighted in the Debate
- 24 interviewees appear in the film.
- The Gaza health ministry says at least 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023.
- The Venice premiere received a record-breaking 25-minute standing ovation.
Government and Military Responses
The Israeli military issued a 17-page rebuttal, rejecting the film’s core claims as “substantial factual errors.” The IDF maintains that human personnel alone select and approve strikes and that no operation has ever been planned to kill 500 civilians—a figure cited in the film. Military Advocate General Itai Ofir warned that criminal prosecution would require proof of security-law violations or disclosure of classified material, though disciplinary measures remain possible.
Press-Freedom and International Reactions
Press-freedom advocates have criticized the move to identify and prosecute the documentary’s sources. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemned the threats as intimidation against journalists. *The Guardian* defended its methodology, emphasizing a “rigorous” credibility assessment that incorporated leaked classified documents and corroboration from additional confidential sources.
Conflicting Accounts on the Film’s Claims
- Film’s Position: NAZA alleges AI-assisted systems routinely suggested targets and that soldiers knowingly accepted civilian-casualty estimates, sometimes as high as 500 per strike.
- IDF’s Position: The IDF asserts AI tools only propose candidates; final approval rests with commanders, and no strike is authorized with a predetermined civilian death count.
These narratives remain unreconciled, and no independent investigation has confirmed either side’s technical descriptions.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I demand that the chief of general staff, the head of the Shin Bet, and the attorney general launch a comprehensive investigation into the participants in the film ‘Naza’ and prosecute them for serious information security violations, criminal libel, and harm to Israel’s diplomatic and security interests,” — Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister
- “These threats constitute a blatant act of intimidation against journalists who have simply been doing their job, in strict accordance with ethical standards and in the public interest.” — European Federation of Journalists
- “The process of assessing the credibility of the testimonies was rigorous. It included leaked classified documents, detailed verification of specific strikes and corroboration via a wider pool of confidential journalistic sources who did not appear on camera in the film.” — The Guardian
The controversy underscores a clash between investigative journalism exposing alleged wartime practices and a government asserting national security and diplomatic protection. As of October 13, no formal criminal proceedings have been announced, leaving the fate of the documentary’s sources and the broader debate over AI-enabled warfare unresolved.