From Vox · Ariana Aspuru · · 2m
Israeli doc about Gaza sparks fury before anyone's seen it
NAZA got a 25-minute ovation in Venice, but in Israel, the filmmakers face threats and calls to revoke their citizenship.
In brief
NAZA got a 25-minute ovation in Venice, but in Israel, the filmmakers face threats and calls to revoke their citizenship. A documentary featuring anonymous Israeli soldiers discussing Gaza operations has ignited fierce debate in Israel, with government officials threatening the filmmakers despite almost no one having…
Standing ovation in Venice
The documentary NAZA received a 25-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. In Israel, it's all anyone's talking about, even though few have actually seen it.
Anonymous soldiers speak out
Made by Israeli filmmakers Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham, the movie features 24 anonymous Israeli intelligence agents and soldiers discussing their actions in Gaza.
Devastating testimonies revealed
One officer recalls blowing up a building with 500 people in it to go after one target. Another interviewee agrees that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza.
“One officer recalls blowing up a building with 500 people in it to go after one target.”
Government calls for punishment
The Israeli culture minister said the filmmakers' nationality should be revoked. At least one politician issued a call to strip them of their citizenship.
Almost no one's seen it
Most people in Israel haven't been able to see the movie. The filmmakers are rethinking distribution after the huge storm of criticism.
Fear of global perception
Israelis from all sides are afraid of how the world sees them. They feel this gives pro-Palestinian and antisemitic people ammunition to attack Israel.
“Israelis from all sides are afraid of the way the world is seeing us at the moment.”
Threats against the filmmakers
People filmed themselves revealing Rachel Szor's parents' house, inviting others to come and take revenge. It has become dangerous for the filmmakers to return to Israel.
“You can all come here. This is the house of Rachel Szor's parents. They live here and you can come and do whatever you want.”
A frightening new level
A journalist who wrote about the film says her mother fears she'll be attacked. This is a new level of intimidation, even for Israel's contentious culture wars.
“I haven't seen anything like this, like what is happening now. This is really frightening.”
Democracy on the line
With elections coming in a month, many Israelis see this as a test of whether the country remains a liberal democracy or has fundamentally changed.
At a glance
A documentary featuring anonymous Israeli soldiers discussing Gaza operations has ignited fierce debate in Israel, with government officials threatening the filmmakers despite almost no one having seen it.
