Israeli minister threatens to strip directors after Venice win
Usagevpn.com – Israeli minister threatens to strip the citizenship of directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor after their Gaza documentary NAZA won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.
Israel’s Culture Minister Miki Zohar condemned the filmmakers following the awards ceremony, describing the film as a betrayal of the state. He said he would seek to revoke the Israeli citizenship of Abraham and Szor.
NAZA was the only documentary in the festival’s main competition. The 80-minute film examines the systems behind Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the killing of Palestinian civilians.
Filmed secretly at night from rooftops in Tel Aviv during the war, the documentary includes interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence personnel, soldiers and whistleblowers. Its title refers to “Nezek Agavi,” a military term for anticipated civilian deaths in an airstrike, often translated as collateral damage.
Political backlash after Venice award
Zohar called the Venice prize “shocking” and accused the directors of seeking approval abroad at Israel’s expense. The Israeli minister threatens to strip the filmmakers of citizenship while also pointing to proposed cinema reforms intended to stop public funding for works he says damage Israel or its military.
“As Minister of Culture, I will act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of these despicable creators for betraying the state.”
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also criticised Abraham and Szor on X, calling them “a disgrace and an embarrassment to the entire people of Israel.” He told the pair to leave Israel and suggested Hamas would welcome them in Gaza.
Record ovation and support in Israel
The political reaction contrasted sharply with the response at Venice, where NAZA received a 25-minute standing ovation, setting a festival record.
The previous record was held by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s Gaza-set drama The Voice of Hind Rajab, which received a 22-minute ovation at its Venice premiere the previous year. The film concerns a six-year-old girl killed by Israeli military fire while attempting to flee Gaza City with her family.
Yousef Jabareen, a former Israeli lawmaker and chair of the left-wing Hadash party, congratulated Abraham and Szor. He thanked them for drawing attention to what he described as horrific crimes and Gaza’s brutal reality.
An editorial in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz said the Venice screening sought to make Israeli audiences confront the moral consequences of the war.
Directors return after Oscar-winning documentary
Abraham and Szor previously directed No Other Land, released in 2024. The documentary examined Israeli settler violence against Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank and later won the Academy Award for Best Documentary.
NAZA arrives amid continued international scrutiny of Israel’s war in Gaza, which followed the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. The Gaza health ministry has said more than 73,000 people have been killed by Israeli bombardment over the following three years.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the United Nations have described Israel’s actions as genocide. A June report by an independent UN commission concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces had deliberately targeted Palestinian children, resulting in genocide and atrocity crimes in Gaza, as well as war crimes in the West Bank.
Frequently asked questions
What is NAZA about? The documentary investigates military decision-making during Israel’s Gaza campaign through testimony from Israeli soldiers, intelligence personnel and whistleblowers.
Why did the Israeli minister threaten to strip the directors of citizenship? Miki Zohar said he viewed the Venice-winning film and its makers as damaging to Israel and accused them of betraying the state.
What award did the film receive? NAZA won the Special Jury Prize in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival.
