Israeli Filmmakers Face Citizenship Threats Over NAZA

Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor are facing threats from their own government to revoke their citizenship. This follows their documentary NAZA winning the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, where it also received a record 25-minute standing ovation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated plans on Friday to advance legislation stripping the pair of citizenship, a call echoed by Culture Minister Miki Zohar.

Documentary exposes Israeli military systems in Gaza

The film is built on secret rooftop interviews in Tel Aviv with 24 Israeli soldiers and intelligence personnel involved in Gaza operations. Their testimony details AI-powered surveillance systems used for target selection and the remote killing of Palestinian civilians. The film's title, NAZA, comes from a Hebrew military acronym used euphemistically to indicate expected civilian deaths in an airstrike.

Testimony describes airstrikes often conducted at night in private homes, killing many family members including children. The film questions who identified targets, knew children were present, and decided civilian deaths were acceptable. Interviews include soldiers who monitored Palestinians, estimated civilian losses, and authorised attacks. Some spoke from guilt or shame, while others expressed pride. One officer described hearing domestic life via surveillance before authorising a bombing, stating the objective was to destroy. Abraham and Szor characterise the mass killing of civilians as a premeditated, calculated, and intentional act, concluding deaths were deliberately accepted and authorised.

Premiere in New York triggers political and public reaction

NAZA had its North American premiere at Lincoln Center in New York City on Saturday, 26 September. At the event, the directors warned the audience that the killing described by soldiers on screen was continuing and accused the United States of helping to pay for the depicted operations. Just one day prior and across Central Park at the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu offered an aggressive defense of Israel’s use of deadly force in Gaza, calling the war the opposite of genocide and denouncing critics. He has likened the documentary to launching dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel. Abraham addressed this comment in a post-screening discussion, calling it the criminalization of journalism.

Widespread support and condemnation surround the filmmakers

The backlash has been severe. Rightwing activists have called for violence against Abraham and Szor. Earlier this month, dozens surrounded Szor’s parents’ home in central Israel, with one protester calling for the death penalty for traitors. In response, more than 1,500 Israeli film professionals have defended the filmmakers. The Israeli military has rejected the film's allegations, with IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir saying the military would use every tool at its disposal against the film and would not allow soldiers to be made targets through lies.

Context: prior work and naming of the film

Abraham and Szor are two of the four filmmakers behind No Other Land, which won the Oscar for best documentary in 2025. NAZA brings together that team with the producers behind The Zone of Interest. The 80-minute film builds on reporting from 2023 to 2025 in the Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call. The directors describe it as an investigation of established policy and routine practice. It is produced by the Guardian and James Wilson, with Jonathan Glazer as executive producer.

The filmmakers have stated they made the film out of a sense of obligation to use their position as Israelis to examine the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians. They say the threats from the Israeli government and the death threats do not change that and will not stop the film. They plan to share NAZA all over the world very soon.