In a controversial move, Israel’s Minister of Culture, Miki Zohar, has threatened to strip the Israeli citizenship of filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the co-directors of the provocative documentary “NAZA.” Zohar labeled the film “shocking” and accused its creators of “betraying the state” through their work.
Allegations of Betrayal
Zohar expressed his outrage in a social media post, stating, “The self-loathing that burns in the creators, who are willing to harm their homeland just to get applause from antisemites around the world, is inconceivable and constitutes a betrayal of the state.” He further declared, “As Minister of Culture, I will act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of these despicable creators for betraying the state.”
“NAZA” and Its Impact
The documentary “NAZA” presents a critical perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, detailing what the filmmakers describe as the systematic mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it garnered significant acclaim, receiving a record-breaking 24.5-minute standing ovation, the longest in the festival’s history. Abraham and Szor were honored with a special jury prize for their work.
Response from the Filmmakers
Accepting the award, Abraham voiced his concern over the political and media backlash the film has faced in Israel, saying, “It’s honestly not very easy to stand here, thinking of all the Israeli politicians and journalists who are now attacking this film and denying it without even seeing it. So much is being done not to look at reality.”
He emphasized the importance of acknowledging uncomfortable truths, stating, “We believe that the denial of a crime is what helps it persist, and that’s why it’s especially important for us that Israelis watch this film — it’s our country that is doing these crimes — that Europeans watch it, and especially here in Italy because your government and the German government are blocking pressure on Israel that can end this, that Americans watch it because that country is funding much of the killing.”
