Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar announced plans on September 14, 2026, to revoke the citizenship of directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor following their documentary NAZA
winning the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, sparking intense political backlash over the film’s exposure of military tactics in Gaza.
The 83rd Venice Film Festival delivered one of its most contentious moments when the Israeli documentary NAZA captured the Special Jury Prize during Saturday’s award ceremony. Directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the 80-minute feature is the only documentary selected for this year’s main competition. Shot in secrecy at night on the rooftops of Tel Aviv during the ongoing Gaza conflict, the film features interviews with 24 Israeli military intelligence officers, soldiers, and whistleblowers who discuss how Palestinians are targeted in the enclave.
The film’s title itself serves as a direct indictment, referencing a military acronym used by Israeli forces. As reported by Euronews, the term stands for Nezek Agavi
—collateral damage—which the documentary exposes in detail through its examination of the systems behind the calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians using artificial intelligence-generated attack and surveillance programs.
Ministerial Threats and Allegations of Treason
The reaction from Israeli officials was swift and severe. Writing on X, Culture Minister Miki Zohar condemned the film and announced immediate administrative actions against the directing duo, accusing them of treason for seeking international applause at the expense of their homeland.
Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar stated via Euronews that the self-loathing burning within the creators—who are willing to harm their homeland simply to win applause from antisemites worldwide—is inconceivable and amounts to a betrayal of the state.
Zohar added in his statement, as translated from X: As Israeli Culture Minister, Miki Zohar stated that he would act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of those despicable creators for betraying the state. He further noted that the controversy justified his earlier efforts to reform cinema funding so that Israeli citizens no longer finance projects that criticize the Israel Defense Forces.
The far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir amplified the condemnation on social media, telling the directors that they were an embarrassment and suggesting they seek refuge with Hamas. Meanwhile, former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman dismissed the filmmakers as odiadores de Israel (haters of Israel).
Legal Hurdles in Revoking Citizenship
While Israeli law legally allows for the revocation of nationality, the procedure is exceptionally rare and bound by strict administrative gates. According to legal frameworks outlined in regional reports, stripping someone of their citizenship requires a formal request from the interior minister, the approval of the justice minister, and final validation by the judicial system.
The Supreme Court upheld the state’s power to strip citizenship in 2022 for individuals lacking allegiance through acts such as espionage or treason. A reform in 2023 incorporated terror convictions, yet applying it to documentary filmmakers would test uncharted legal territory.
The Israel Defense Forces categorically rejected the documentary’s core claims. The military criticized the reliance on anonymous sources, arguing that the identities of the participating whistleblowers cannot be independently verified and insisting that human judgment governs every operational strike.
Festival Reception and International Distribution
The Venice screening set a striking precedent at the Lido. NAZA earned a record-breaking 25-minute standing ovation, eclipsing the previous year’s 22-minute record held by Kaouther Ben Hania’s Gaza-set drama The Voice of Hind Rajab, according to festival coverage.
The directors are no strangers to politically charged documentary work. Abraham and Szor previously co-directed No Other Land alongside Palestinian creators Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal, a 2024 project focusing on Israeli settler violence in the West Bank that won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Back home, the film has found rare domestic defenders amid the official outcry. Former lawmaker Yousef Jabareen, chair of the Hadash party, congratulated the creators for exposing brutal realities, while the editorial board of Haaretz argued that the filmmakers are forcing the Israeli public to confront uncomfortable truths about wartime conduct.