{
  "id": 8189986,
  "title": "NAZA, the money trail, and what the film leaves out about October 7 - opinion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/naza-the-money-trail-and-what-the-film-leaves-out-about-october-7",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T06:36:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-908910"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NAZA, a film directed by Israelis Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, has been awarded the Venice Special Jury Prize and received a near 25-minute standing ovation at the Venice Biennale. The film portrays Israel's calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The filmmakers claim that many of their revelations were initially published by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call. However, the filmmakers conceal the identities, roles, and knowledge of 24 unnamed Israeli military and intelligence personnel whose voices are also altered. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have denied these allegations, stating they cannot verify the identities and roles of the anonymous sources and dispute claims about how targeting decisions are made.\n\nThe filmmakers' sources are not the only aspect that requires scrutiny. Both +972 Magazine and Local Call, the organizations behind the film, have received significant funding from the Open Society Foundations, which is financed by George Soros. Open Society has given over $32 billion to the Foundations since 1984. Soros founded and financed Open Society, which in turn provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to Local Call from 2018 through 2024. Additionally, Open Society has taken clear public stances on the Israel-Hamas War, condemning Hamas's October 7 attack but also criticizing Israel's campaign as increasingly indiscriminate.\n\nDespite the tragic civilian deaths in Gaza, the film seems to prioritize Israel's military response under a microscope, pushing the horror of October 7 to the margins. The film's accusations of Israel's intention to murder civilians, based on anonymous Israeli sources, are being presented as powerful propaganda rather than a serious description of war. Instead of censorship, Israel should provide the truth, which should include acknowledging Palestinian suffering, investigating misconduct, and not accepting that killing civilians is state policy. Audiences should apply the same scrutiny to films and investigations as they would to any other source of information, examining the evidence, sources, and producers.",
  "summary": "When films and investigations present themselves as fearless examinations of power, the public should apply the same scrutiny to them.",
  "key_points": [
    "NAZA film wins Venice Special Jury Prize",
    "Film omits identities of 24 unnamed Israeli sources",
    "Open Society funding Local Call and +972 Magazine"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The film's portrayal of Israel's military actions in Gaza shifts attention from the October 7 attack, fitting a pattern where critics highlight Israel's response while downplaying Palestinian actions.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}