NAZA Documentary Backlash: Why Is Yuval Abraham & Rachel Szor’s Gaza Documentary Facing Criticism In Israel?
· Free Press Journal
British-produced documentary NAZA has become one of the most talked-about films at the 2026 Venice Film Festival. The film received a record-breaking 24.5-minute standing ovation after its premiere and went on to win the Special Jury Prize. However, its reception has been sharply divided, with Israeli political and military officials criticising the documentary and its filmmakers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also announced plans to introduce legislation that could revoke the citizenship of people who “defame” Israeli soldiers, following the controversy surrounding NAZA and its directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.
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What is NAZA about?
Directed by Israeli journalists and filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, NAZA is an 80-minute documentary examining Israel’s targeting practices in Gaza. The film features interviews with 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel, whose identities have been concealed, and explores allegations about the use of AI-assisted systems and other technologies in target selection. It also examines how expected civilian casualties were factored into military strike decisions. The film builds on investigative reporting published by The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call.
The film’s title refers to an Israeli military term, “Nezek Agavi”, used to denote expected collateral casualties in an airstrike. NAZA was filmed secretly on rooftops in Tel Aviv, with the interviewees’ faces and voices digitally altered to protect their identities. The documentary has drawn strong criticism from Israeli officials, who have rejected its portrayal of the military and questioned its allegations, while the filmmakers have defended the film as an attempt to bring Israeli audiences testimony from insiders.
The IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir called the film a “blood libel” and a “deliberate distortion of reality”, while saying military lawyers were examining possible legal action.
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Who are Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor?
Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor are Israeli journalists and filmmakers best known for co-directing the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land with Palestinian filmmakers Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal. Abraham is an investigative journalist who has reported on the Israeli occupation, while Szor is a cinematographer and filmmaker. No Other Land, which documented the displacement of Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2025.
The duo has now reunited for NAZA, which premiered in competition at the 2026 Venice Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize. Following the film’s reception, Israeli officials have sharply criticised the filmmakers, while Israel’s military has said it is examining possible legal action concerning the film and its sources.