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Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar has announced his intention to initiate proceedings to strip filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor of their Israeli citizenship following the high-profile recognition of their Gaza war documentary at the Venice Film Festival. The minister's public threat comes immediately after the film secured one of the most prestigious honors at the international cinema gathering.
The documentary, titled *NAZA*, was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the closing ceremony of the 83rd Venice Film Festival, held at Venice Lido on September 12, 2026. Directors Abraham and Szor attended the event in person, appearing together for a commemorative photocall on the festival's red carpet as they accepted the jury's acclaim for their investigative work.
In response to the festival's decision, Minister Zohar took to the social media platform X on Sunday to publish an aggressive rebuke of the project and its creators. He labeled the documentary "vile" and characterized its victory at the prestigious Italian film festival as "shocking," condemning both the award and the narrative presented by the Israeli directors.
In his online post, the culture minister accused Abraham and Szor of intentionally compromising their country’s international reputation. Zohar alleged that the filmmakers produced the critical work solely to gain favor and receive applause from global antisemites, framing the documentary's success as an attack on the Israeli state from within its own borders.
The minister went further by formally accusing the filmmakers of disloyalty, declaring that their artistic and investigative efforts amounted to treason against the state. In his statement, Zohar pledged that he would act immediately within his official role as culture minister to revoke the Israeli citizenship of the two directors, whom he referred to as despicable creators.
The documentary at the center of the political storm is an 80-minute non-fiction feature that investigates Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip. The film examines the scale of the offensive and directly portrays what the Venice Film Festival's official synopsis describes as Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian population.
According to festival materials, *NAZA* focuses extensively on the Israeli military's reliance on cutting-edge artificial intelligence systems to guide its military campaign. The official synopsis notes that the documentary details how these AI-powered mechanisms have been employed to carry out calculated mass killings of Palestinians inside the besieged enclave.
The film had already established itself as a major artistic talking point earlier in the festival during its official premiere. Audiences in attendance responded to the 80-minute screening with an emotional and overwhelmingly positive demonstration of support, awarding the film an extraordinary 25-minute standing ovation.
To document the internal workings of the military apparatus, the directors incorporated first-hand accounts from Israeli military and intelligence personnel. These whistleblowers agreed to participate in the project and provide on-camera testimonies exclusively under the strict condition of complete anonymity to protect their identities.
Among the most significant revelations disclosed by the anonymous interviewees was the operation of an AI system known as "Lavender." The intelligence and military sources described how this technology was used to systematically monitor telecommunications traffic between Palestinians in Gaza and automate the process of selecting individuals for targeted killings.
Beyond exposing internal military mechanisms, the creators intended the documentary to have a concrete impact on international policy. Following the recognition of *NAZA* in Venice, co-director Yuval Abraham publicly outlined his aspirations for the project's broader political influence.
Abraham stated that he hopes the documentary's findings will prompt Western governments to change their diplomatic and economic stances toward Israel. Specifically, the filmmaker called on Western nations to impose targeted economic sanctions on the country in response to the atrocities and technological warfare depicted in the film.
The minister's pledge to strip Abraham and Szor of their legal status reflects escalating tensions between Israeli state authorities and cultural figures who expose state military tactics. Zohar’s claim that such investigative documentary work represents treason demonstrates how cultural expression related to Gaza is increasingly being targeted with severe punitive threats.
As *NAZA* gains global momentum following its Special Jury Prize victory at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, the domestic backlash against Abraham and Szor emphasizes the severe friction surrounding public scrutiny of Israel's military conduct and the deployment of AI systems in wartime.
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