NAZA Documentary Sparks International Backlash and Funding Debate

The award-winning documentary NAZA, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor with executive producer Jonathan Glazer, presents 24 interviews with Israeli military insiders who describe an AI-assisted mass-surveillance system used during the Gaza war. The film argues the technology targeted Hamas operatives while knowingly causing large numbers of Palestinian civilian deaths. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, received a 25-minute standing ovation—a festival record—and won the special jury prize. The documentary is now playing in UK cinemas, has been released in more than 50 countries, and will be streamed for free on the Guardian’s website from late November. In Italy it topped the box office, surpassing *Avengers Endgame: Encore*.

The Guardian

NAZA joins a lineage of “perpetrator cinema” that gives voice to those who commit mass violence. Earlier examples include Joshua Oppenheimer’s *The Act of Killing* (2013) and Errol Morris’s *Standard Operating Procedure* (2003). These films have provoked ethical debates about the filmmaker’s role and the impact of exposing perpetrators’ perspectives.

The Guardian

Israeli officials have denounced NAZA. The government announced plans to strip citizenship from the directors and accused them of treason. Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Eyal Zamir said the military will use “every tool at our disposal” against the documentary. The IDF later issued a 10-page response compiled from interviews with more than 100 sources familiar with the military systems.

The Guardian

Jonathan Glazer, speaking to *The Guardian* editor-in-chief Katharine Viner at the UK premiere, described the Israeli retaliation as “much more venal than anticipated.”

The Guardian

Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha criticized the film on social media, arguing that Gaza’s devastation has already been documented by Gazans and questioning what additional insight NAZA provides. Earlier criticism of *The Act of Killing*—labelled a “snuff film” by an influential British documentary figure—mirrors the backlash NAZA faces from some observers who view the approach as potentially normalising the perpetrators.

The GuardianThe GuardianEU Observer

• 24 interviews with Israeli insiders (film).

The Guardian

• 10-page IDF rebuttal based on >100 sources (military).

The Guardian

• €1.02 billion net EU contribution to Israel through Horizon Europe (2021-2027).

EU Observer

• Over €2.12 billion EU research funding to Israeli entities since 2014 (UN report).

EU Observer

• Israeli drone-navigation firm Sightec received almost €2.5 million via the European Innovation Council Accelerator (European Parliament question, March 2026).

EU Observer

• Proposed EU suspension would affect roughly 20 % of EU financial flows to Israel under the EIC Accelerator (Commission proposal).

EU Observer

The documentary’s exposure of AI-driven surveillance has intensified scrutiny of EU research programmes that finance Israeli firms linked to military applications. Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva warned EU funds could support “dual-use” technologies used in Gaza, while Navi Pillay, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said Israel’s actions aim at the “destruction of Palestinian life.” The EU’s upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework will decide whether to continue or curtail participation of Israeli entities in the next Horizon programme (2028-2034).

EU Observer

• “What do you think happens when you keep demonising your enemy?” — Hany Abu-Assad, director

The Guardian

• “Our country is doing so much to hide these systems,” — Rachel Szor

The Guardian

The Israeli government has pledged legal action against the documentary’s participants, while EU officials are preparing votes on whether to exclude Israeli firms from future EIC Accelerator grants—a decision that could reshape €1 billion-plus of research collaboration. The outcome will determine how European public money aligns with the ethical concerns raised by NAZA’s revelations.

EU Observer