Israeli minister calls to strip Gaza film directors of citizenship

Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar has called for the citizenship revocation of the directors of an Israeli-made documentary about Gaza. The film, which won a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival, features interviews with 24 Israeli military or intelligence whistleblowers who revealed AI-powered targeting systems used to bomb Gaza, causing the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.

Zohar accused the directors of betraying their homeland for the sake of applause from antisemites worldwide. Other Israeli ministers also condemned the directors, with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir calling them a disgrace and an embarrassment to the people of Israel. Revoking Israeli citizenship is legally possible in the country, though it is seldom done.

In 2022, the Supreme Court confirmed the state's ability to strip nationality from individuals who have not shown loyalty, such as committing espionage or treason. The Israeli military has criticized the use of anonymous testimonies in the film, claiming the whistleblowers' identities cannot be verified. Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians, while Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,221 people and taking 251 hostages.

Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has since killed over 73,000 people, according to Hamas-operated health ministry figures, which the UN considers reliable.