NAZA: Why are old Gaza allegations causing new fury in Israel?

A new documentary titled "NAZA," featuring testimonies from Israeli soldiers about the military's actions in Gaza, has sparked significant backlash from Israel's political and media establishment. While the film's allegations, including the use of AI for targeting and accusations of genocide and unlawful killings, have been previously reported, "NAZA" has brought them to the forefront of Israeli political debate. In response, Culture Minister Miki Zohar called for the directors' citizenship to be revoked and for treason investigations, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advanced legislation to strip citizenship from those deemed to be smearing soldiers. The army chief also dismissed the film and ordered a probe into its sources. This reaction, occurring shortly before October elections, has been described as intense, with journalists also joining in the criticism.

The documentary "NAZA," produced by The Guardian and featuring anonymized Israeli military insiders, received a 25-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. The film, which describes systems used to select targets for killing in Gaza, has provoked extreme reactions in Israel. Right-wing political figures have accused the directors, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, of treason, with some calling for violence against them. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to introduce legislation to strip citizenship from those who "smear" Israeli soldiers. The intense backlash, occurring during a charged election campaign, has been attributed to the film's power and the Israeli right's exploitation of it. Human rights and press freedom organizations have defended the filmmakers.

A documentary titled "NAZA," which translates to "collateral damage," has faced significant backlash in Israel, with creators Yuval Avraham and Rachel Szor unable to secure a distributor or public screening. Senior Israeli officials, including the military chief of staff and the minister of culture, have threatened action against the filmmakers. A common response from those condemning the film has been an explicit refusal to watch it. This refusal is presented as part of a broader trend where many Israelis have "closed their hearts" to the devastation in Gaza, citing the atrocities committed by Hamas as a reason for their lack of pity. Despite hopes from some on the Israeli left that exposure to images from Gaza would spur public opposition to the war, these activists were reportedly rebuffed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to advance two bills that would allow for the revocation of citizenship of individuals who defame Israeli soldiers. This move comes in response to "NAZA," a documentary by Israeli journalists Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, which alleges mass civilian deaths were part of Israel's targeting decisions in Gaza. The film, which won a prize at the Venice Film Festival, features anonymous interviews with intelligence officers and soldiers and has faced criticism in Israel, with the military considering legal action. Netanyahu stated the bills aim to address the "immense damage" done to Israeli soldiers by the documentary, and he also accused election rivals of not taking a strong enough stance against it.

Oscar-winning Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor are facing threats of citizenship revocation from Israel's culture minister, Miki Zohar, who accused them of "treason" for their documentary *NAZA*. The film, which explores Israeli military targeting systems used in Gaza and features interviews with soldiers and officers, recently won a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival. Global film industry figures, including directors from the Telluride, Locarno, and San Sebastián film festivals, have expressed solidarity with Abraham and Szor, condemning the threats and affirming the importance of artistic and journalistic freedom. Over 1,500 Israeli filmmakers have also signed a petition supporting the directors and refuting accusations of harming Israel's image.

An Israeli documentary titled "NAZA," by Oscar-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday. The film, which explores Israel's use of AI in civilian killings in Gaza, was met with a 25-minute standing ovation from the audience. This extended applause is reportedly a record at the festival. The documentary features interviews with 24 Israeli military or intelligence whistle-blowers who spoke anonymously. The filmmakers utilized these conversations to construct the narrative of the film.

The Israeli film "NAZA," which investigates Israel's use of AI systems in Gaza, premiered at the Venice Film Festival to a 25-minute standing ovation. Directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the 80-minute documentary is based on nearly three years of investigation and testimony from anonymous Israeli military and intelligence sources. The film reveals an AI-assisted targeting system called "Lavender," which allegedly used data from Gaza's telecommunications network to identify assassination targets on a large scale. Interviewees describe the process as akin to a "video game" and discuss the destruction of civilian homes and disregard for humanitarian law. The film's title, "NAZA," is described as a Hebrew intelligence euphemism for the expected number of civilian casualties in an airstrike.

A new documentary, "NAZA," premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, revealing testimony from 24 Israeli military insiders about secret systems used in the war on Gaza. Produced by The Guardian, the film features disguised interviews with intelligence officers and soldiers who detail methods including AI-based targeting of civilians, hacking into phones to locate individuals, and listening to family conversations before strikes. The documentary highlights the systematic destruction of homes and killings at civilian sites, with some interviewees working in a unit reporting to Prime Minister Netanyahu. Directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor stated their aim was to examine the orders, policies, and logic enabling the mass killing of Palestinian civilians, rather than isolated incidents. The film builds on previous investigative reporting and was produced under strict security due to risks to sources.