‘Despicable creators’: Israeli ministers attack directors of Gaza film Naza after Venice win
Two Israeli ministers have condemned the Oscar-winning filmmakers behind Naza , a documentary examining Israel's military operations in Gaza, after it won a major prize at the Venice International Film Festival on Saturday. Culture Minister Miki Zohar called for directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor to be stripped of their Israeli citizenship, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir…
Israeli ministers have harshly criticized the directors of the Oscar-winning documentary "Naza," which explores Israel's military operations in Gaza. Culture Minister Miki Zohar called for the film's directors, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, to lose their Israeli citizenship, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir branded them a "disgrace and an embarrassment" and urged them to depart the country.
The ministers' remarks followed "Naza" receiving the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival, with the film's premiere eliciting a standing ovation of about 24 and a half minutes. Zohar alleged that the filmmakers were willing to "harm their homeland to receive applause from anti-Semites globally," while Ben-Gvir described them as an "embarrassment to the entire people of Israel."
The 80-minute documentary, which features clandestine interviews with Israeli military intelligence officers, examines Israel's selection of targets in Gaza, including the use of artificial intelligence. The film's title stems from an Israeli military term referring to the anticipated number of civilian casualties in an airstrike.
Despite Israel rejecting the film's allegations and questioning its reliance on anonymous testimony, the Israeli military acknowledged using AI to aid target identification, stating that final decisions on strikes are made by human officials. The Israeli military has also noted that the identities and positions of the interviewed individuals could not be verified.
"Naza" was one of the most discussed films at the Venice festival, with audience members displaying Palestinian flags during the lengthy ovation. Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, part of the festival jury, commended Abraham and Szor for their approach to documenting the war through anonymous testimonies. The film's directors, who also won an Oscar for their 2025 documentary "No Other Land," acknowledged the importance of the documentary being seen in Israel, emphasizing the denial of crimes can help perpetuate them.
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