Israeli culture minister seeks revocation of citizenship for documentary filmmakers
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Israel's culture minister announced plans to request the stripping of citizenship from the creators of the award-winning documentary "NAZA," which alleges Israeli use of AI-driven targeting in Gaza.
Israel's culture minister said he will move to have the citizenship of the directors of the documentary "NAZA" revoked after the film won a Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival. The 80-minute documentary features interviews with individuals presented as Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers who claim AI-powered targeting systems have been used to kill Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar described the film's festival award as "shocking" and accused the filmmakers of betraying the state. He posted on social media that he would act "immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship" of the directors, citing alleged breach of trust and cooperation with the enemy. Zohar said he had contacted senior officials in the Population Authority and the Ministry of Interior to examine the case.
Under Israeli law, revocation of citizenship requires a request from the interior minister, approval by the justice minister and validation by judges. No response from the interior ministry has been reported.
Other cabinet members also criticized the filmmakers. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called them a "disgrace" and suggested they would be welcomed by Hamas. The Israel Defense Forces said the identities of the alleged whistleblowers could not be verified and reiterated that the military does not deliberately target civilians.
The documentary's director, Yuval Abraham, told the Venice audience that interviewees described the killings as systematic and intentional. Film publications described the work as urgent and emotionally intense, while some commentators said it provoked outrage toward the Israeli government.