Israeli minister threatens citizenship action against Gaza documentary filmmakers
Culture Minister Miki Zohar said he would immediately pursue the revocation of Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor’s Israeli citizenship after their film NAZA won a Venice award.
Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar has threatened to seek the revocation of filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor’s Israeli citizenship after their documentary NAZA won the Venice Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize.
In a post on X, Zohar called the film “vile” and described its award as “shocking”. He accused the filmmakers of treason and said he would act immediately to pursue citizenship revocation.
NAZA examines alleged Israeli military and intelligence targeting practices in Gaza. The Venice Film Festival’s official synopsis describes the film as documenting the alleged use of AI-powered systems in what it calls “calculated mass killings” of Palestinians.
The 80-minute documentary includes anonymous testimonies from Israeli military and intelligence personnel, including claims about an alleged system known as “Lavender”, which interviewees said was used to monitor communications and determine targets.
The film reportedly received a 25-minute standing ovation at its premiere. Abraham said he hoped it would encourage Western governments to impose economic sanctions on Israel.
The source material reports a ministerial threat or proposed action, not an actual citizenship revocation, and provides no details of formal proceedings.
