Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar demanded on September 13, 2026, that the citizenship of filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor be revoked following their Venice Film Festival win for NAZA,
a documentary detailing the military’s AI-powered targeting systems in Gaza.
The fallout from the international premiere of NAZA
has escalated rapidly into a political clash over artistic freedom, military accountability, and the legal limits of nationality in Israel. The 80-minute documentary, which captured the Special Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice Film Festival after earning a 25-minute standing ovation, relies on anonymous accounts from 24 Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers. Those sources detailed automated targeting procedures used during the conflict in Gaza.
Ministerial Backlash and Formal Citizenship Review Requests
Following the film’s festival recognition, Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar moved on social media and through official channels. Zohar accused the directors of treason, stating on the platform X that he would act immediately to strip them of their nationality. By Monday, September 14, 2026, Zohar escalated the threat by formally contacting the Director General of the Population Authority and the Director General of the Ministry of Interior.
The minister requested an examination into whether the filmmakers breached trust for the country and cooperated with the enemy,
alongside an investigation into how the documentary materials were obtained and if those actions aided the enemy in time of war. Other senior figures joined the condemnation. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly told the directors to leave the country, while former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman labeled them haters of Israel,
and former prime minister Naftali Bennett characterized the project as a horrific blood libel.
The self-loathing that burns in the creators, who are willing to harm their homeland just to get applause from anti-semites around the world, is inconceivable.
Miki Zohar, Israeli Culture Minister
Legal Hurdles in Stripping Israeli Nationality
While political demands for citizenship revocation have grown, the legal mechanism to execute such a step remains restricted under Israeli law. Although nationality can be stripped for disloyalty, espionage, treason, or terrorism-related convictions—as reinforced by a 2022 Supreme Court ruling and subsequent 2023 legislative expansions—ministerial decrees alone carry no legal weight.
Executing a revocation requires a statutory sequence. The interior minister must officially submit a formal request, which then must secure approval from the justice minister before obtaining final validation from judges.
Military Pushback and the Filmmakers’ Defense
The Israel Defense Forces issued a critique of the project, challenging its methodology. Military officials stated that the documentary relies on anonymous testimonies and said the identities of the whistleblowers cannot be verified.
The military has repeatedly denied any deliberate targeting of civilians in the Palestinian territories.
Co-director Yuval Abraham defended the documentary’s core findings during festival appearances, arguing that the accounts point to a systemic framework rather than isolated operational errors. Produced by the news outlet The Guardian,
along with producer James Wilson and executive producer Jonathan Glazer, the project has drawn critical debate globally, praised by trade publications like The Hollywood Reporter and IndieWire while sparking domestic condemnation over how artistic expression intersects with national security during wartime.