Israel Moves to Strip Citizenship From 2 Oscar-Winning Directors Over Gaza Documentary

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for a law that could strip the Israeli citizenship of two Oscar-winning filmmakers behind a new documentary about Israel's military operations in Gaza [253178].

The film, titled NAZA, premiered at the Venice Film Festival this month and has triggered a political crisis in Israel [253178]. It features testimony from 24 anonymous Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers who describe how the military uses artificial intelligence, mass surveillance, and airstrikes to kill Palestinians in Gaza remotely [253178][251139].

The documentary is directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who won an Oscar in 2025 for the documentary No Other Land [249960]. It was produced by the Guardian and shot at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv [249960].

The film's title comes from an Israeli intelligence acronym referring to the number of civilians expected to die in an airstrike [251139]. The soldiers describe strikes that often happen at night in private homes, killing entire families, including children [251139].

Abraham and Szor defended their film at its North American premiere in New York on Saturday [251139]. The documentary will open in cinemas in more than 50 countries in the coming weeks before streaming for free on the Guardian's website from late November [249960].

The directors have also offered the film to Israeli cinemas at no cost. Abraham announced on social media that the decision was made "due to the public interest and importance" of the movie, with the goal that "anyone can see the testimonies of the soldiers" [249326].

"We have approached cinemas in Israel and offered them the film for free, in the hope that it will be screened in the country," Abraham said [249326].

He called the film's projection "a brave decision in the face of great violence aimed at hiding it" [249326].

Abraham said the film was made to "generate public debate" about the government's actions in Gaza and the deaths of over 73,000 people, most of them civilians [249326].

"24 soldiers took a step and spoke in front of a camera about what an entire society does not want to talk about," he said [249326].

He rejected accusations of betrayal. "Journalism is not treason. Criticism is not treason," Abraham said. "It is the duty of every citizen whose government commits crimes to know about them, and of every soldier who witnessed them to tell" [249326].

Far-right activists have protested outside the home of director Rachel Szor's parents [249326]. Abraham said he has spent three years writing in Hebrew about the army's fire policy in Gaza, and that the investigations were ignored in Israel [249326].

"It has been a hard week," Abraham said. "But there is also a lot of support and generosity. One thing I am sure of: threats will not help. They do not deter us" [249326].

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