RismadarVoice Reporters
September 15, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the Gaza war documentary “NAZA” as “shocking incitement” against Israel and Jews, after the film won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival and received a 25-minute standing ovation at its premiere.
Directed by Israeli journalists Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the documentary examines Israel’s military operations in Gaza through anonymous testimonies from Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers involved in the war.
The film alleges that civilian casualties were routinely factored into Israeli targeting decisions during military operations in Gaza. Its title is derived from an Israeli military term referring to expected collateral casualties.
The documentary received an approximately 25-minute standing ovation following its Venice screening, with reports describing it as one of the longest, and according to some accounts the longest, ovations recorded at the festival. It subsequently received the Special Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice Film Festival.
Netanyahu, however, sharply rejected the film’s portrayal of the Israeli military.
“We are fighting global antisemitic incitement, and when it comes from within us it is intolerable,” Netanyahu said in a video posted on Telegram, describing the film as part of what he called a broader wave of global incitement against Jews.
He also criticised the filmmakers for portraying the Israel Defence Forces as war criminals and receiving applause at an international film festival.
The Israeli military’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, separately condemned the documentary, saying it was an attack on the state and accusing its creators of making what he described as false and distorted allegations against Israeli soldiers and commanders.
The military said Zamir had instructed the Military Advocate General to examine and advance possible legal measures concerning the film and those involved in producing it.
The controversy has also drawn criticism from Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar, who called for action against Abraham and Szor and raised the possibility of revoking their Israeli citizenship, accusing them of treason over the documentary.
The filmmakers have defended the documentary and said they believe documenting alleged abuses is necessary, particularly while the Gaza war continues.
Abraham said during his Venice acceptance speech that denying alleged crimes could allow them to persist and argued that it was important for Israelis to watch the film because, in his view, the events depicted involve actions carried out by their own country.
The documentary is based on testimony from 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel whose identities were protected. The filmmakers have said the project builds on investigations and reporting concerning Israeli military conduct in Gaza.
The Israeli military has rejected the film’s central allegations and maintains that its forces take measures to minimise civilian casualties while fighting Hamas, which Israel accuses of operating from within civilian areas. Hamas has denied using Gaza’s civilian population as human shields.
The dispute over “NAZA” has therefore developed beyond a film controversy into a broader confrontation over Israel’s conduct in Gaza, freedom of expression and the limits of criticism of the military during wartime.
The filmmakers, who previously worked on the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” now face intense criticism from Israeli officials even as the film’s reception in Venice has brought it international attention.
The controversy comes amid the continuing Gaza war, which began after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures. Gaza health authorities say more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s subsequent military campaign, most of them civilians.
