Venice-winning film sparks Israeli backlash

What's happened

NAZA, an 80‑minute documentary by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, has premiered at the Venice Film Festival, won a special jury prize and prompted sustained criticism from Israeli officials. The film presents anonymous testimony from 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel alleging AI‑assisted targeting and frequent civilian deaths in Gaza; Israel’s defence establishment has rejected the claims and ordered inquiries.

What's behind the headline?

What the filmmakers show

• NAZA gathers on‑camera, anonymised testimony from 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel describing an AI‑linked targeting system and routine strikes that, interviewees say, anticipated substantial civilian casualties.
• Filmmakers filmed on Tel Aviv rooftops; voices and faces are digitally altered to protect sources. The film is produced with backing from The Guardian and executive producers with previous festival success.

Why this has become a national flashpoint

• The film has turned internal whistleblowing into a public spectacle by winning a major festival prize and a record ovation. That has compelled senior ministers and the IDF to respond publicly and to treat the film as a security and reputational threat.
• Political leaders are using sharp rhetoric and legal tools — including talk of revoking citizenship and examining possible prosecutions — which will intensify polarisation inside Israel and reduce space for dissent.

The tactical dynamics at play

• Israel’s military is treating NAZA as a potential operational leak: the IDF has said it will investigate how material was obtained and ordered a team to prepare legal, command and public diplomacy responses. The military is also inviting to view the full film to rebut specific claims.
• Festival attention has internationalised the dispute: film‑industry bodies and festival directors have publicly defended the filmmakers, which will harden external pressure on Israeli institutions and complicate any domestic attempts at censorship.

Likely outcomes

• The IDF will escalate forensic and legal inquiries into alleged leaks and push for classified‑information reviews; this will increase pressure on journalists, producers and potential sources inside Israel.
• Calls to revoke citizenship or pursue prosecutions will trigger legal challenges and international criticism; courts and ministers will become arenas for the dispute.
• The film will push more festivals and broadcasters to consider screening, which will prolong international scrutiny and political fallout.

What matters to follow next

• Whether the IDF or attorney general opens criminal proceedings related to leaks or publication; if they do, prosecutions will shift the debate from film criticism to national security law.
• Whether and when the filmmakers release the full film publicly; that release will force detailed rebuttals or confirmations of specific allegations.

How we got here

The film builds on reporting by +972 Magazine, Local Call and the Guardian between 2023–25. Abraham and Szor won a 2025 documentary Oscar and have repeatedly faced threats after previous work. NAZA premiered at Venice after three years of reporting and has not yet been released widely.

Our analysis

The reporting shows clear fault‑lines between outlets that foreground the film’s evidence and those that foreground official rebuttals. Read The Guardian for the filmmakers’ claims and provenance: its coverage says NAZA "features extensive testimony from Israeli intelligence officers" and notes the film "builds on revelations" first reported by +972 Magazine and Local Call. The Guardian quoted the directors describing three years of work and detailed interviews filmed under anonymisation. The IDF and senior Israeli officials are quoted directly in sources such as The Times of Israel and BBC Business. The Times of Israel recorded IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir saying the military "will not allow IDF soldiers to be turned into targets through lies and blood libels" and that a "multi‑organizational" team will be formed to prepare responses. BBC Business and The Times of Israel cite the IDF inviting representatives to view the full film so it can "address each of the allegations" in a "substantive, professional and fact‑based discussion." International festival reaction is documented in The Guardian, Arab News and other outlets: festival directors from Telluride and Berlin criticised threats to the filmmakers and urged artistic freedom. Arab News and Al Jazeera record culture minister Miki Zohar’s X post promising to "act immediately" to seek revocation of citizenship, and report calls from other politicians characterising the film as a "blood libel." Together, these sources show a contest between journalistic presentation of anonymous testimony and an Israeli state response that frames the film as unverified and dangerous; they also show how festival acclaim has amplified both protection for the filmmakers and threats from political actors.

Go deeper

• Will the IDF or attorney general open criminal proceedings over the alleged leaks?
• When will NAZA be made publicly available for independent scrutiny?
• Could Israeli courts block any attempt to revoke the filmmakers' citizenship?

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