Directors Rachel Szor, left, and Yuval Abraham pose for photographers at the photo call for the film Naza during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice on Thursday. (Scott A Garfitt/Invision/The Associated Press).
'Israeli' minister vows to strip "NAZA" directors of citizenship
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- 'Israeli' Culture Minister pledged to strip directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor of citizenship after their film NAZA won at Venice.
- Minister called the film "vile," accusing creators of harming the state and military for global acclaim.
- NAZA details alleged mass killings in Gaza using insider testimony from 'Israeli' military personnel.
'Israel’s' Culture Minister Miki Zohar pledged on Sunday to initiate steps to revoke the 'Israeli' citizenship of filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor after their Gaza war documentary, NAZA, won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.
Writing on the social media platform X, Zohar labeled the documentary's award win as "shocking" and characterized the film itself as "vile."
He accused Abraham and Szor of causing deliberate harm to their home country to earn approval from international audiences, asserting that their actions "constitute treason against the state."
"This is exactly the reason I led the important reform in cinema so that Israeli citizens will no longer have to pay out of their own pockets for the harm to IDF soldiers and the State of Israel," Zohar stated. "As culture minister, I will act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of these despicable creators for treason against the state."
הזכייה של הסרט הנבזי נז״א בפסטיבל ונציה מזעזעת. השנאה העצמית היוקדת של היוצרים שמוכנים לפגוע במולדתם כדי לקבל מחיאות כפיים מהאנטישמים בעולם בלתי נתפסת ומהווה בגידה במדינה.
— Miki Zohar מיקי זוהר (@zoharm7) September 13, 2026
זו בדיוק הסיבה שהובלתי את הרפורמה החשובה בקולנוע כדי שאזרחי ישראל לא ישלמו יותר מכיסם על הפגיעה בחיילי צה״ל…
Venice award-winning
The confrontation follows NAZA securing the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, two days after its official premiere on Thursday.
The premiere was met with a standing ovation lasting approximately 25 minutes.
According to the official synopsis provided by the Venice Film Festival, NAZA details systems behind what it characterizes as 'Israel’s' "calculated mass killing" of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The film centers on first-hand testimonies provided by 'Israeli' military intelligence officers and soldiers.
Zohar cited the documentary's content and international recognition as justification for implementing cinema funding reforms and pursuing legal measures to strip the two directors of their citizenship status.
