The story

Israel's Culture Minister Miki Zohar said he would act to revoke the citizenship of Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor after their documentary NAZA won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival. The documentary interviews 24 people identified as Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers who describe the purported use of AI-powered targeting systems in Gaza, which they claim was used to kill Palestinian civilians. The film's title comes from an acronym the Israeli military uses as a shorthand for civilian casualties.

Zohar called the documentary's victory shocking and accused its creators of betrayal of the state. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also criticized the directors. Although it is possible for Israel's government to strip citizens of their nationality, national law requires the country's interior minister to submit a revocation request, which then has to be approved by the justice minister before being validated by judges.

Abraham and Szor won an Oscar in 2025 for their previous film No Other Land, about Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank. After accepting the award in Venice, Abraham said Israeli politicians and journalists were attacking the film without seeing it. The standing ovation at the film's premiere was reported at 24.5 minutes by one outlet and 25 minutes by another.