The Israeli culture minister, Miki Zohar, has called for an investigation to identify the anonymous military sources featured in the award-winning documentary 'NAZA', which accuses the Israeli army of mass civilian killings in Gaza. In the film, directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor interviewed 24 anonymous Israeli military whistleblowers who described AI-powered targeting systems used to bombard Gaza, resulting in tens of thousands of civilian deaths. The documentary won a special jury prize at this year's Venice Film Festival.
In a post on X, Zohar stated he had asked authorities to 'investigate how the materials were obtained, who is behind them, and whether in the process of obtaining or publishing them, actions were taken that amount to aiding the enemy during wartime'. He also requested the interior ministry to consider revoking the citizenship of the two filmmakers on charges of 'treason'. Zohar emphasized that 'freedom of expression is not a licence to betray the state' and warned that 'anyone who acts against Israel during wartime should know that there will be a price to pay'.
The revocation of nationality is legally possible in Israel, though rarely applied. In 2022, Israel's Supreme Court confirmed that the state may strip people of their nationality for a breach of 'loyalty to the State', such as committing acts of espionage or treason. The Israeli military has criticized the use of anonymous testimonies in the film and contested a claim made by one interviewee that the army approved an airstrike killing 500 civilians, stating that the filmmakers could not verify this claim and there is no supporting evidence.
FAQs
- **What is the documentary 'NAZA' about?** 'NAZA' is an award-winning documentary that features anonymous Israeli military whistleblowers accusing the army of using AI-powered targeting systems to bombard Gaza, resulting in mass civilian casualties.
- **Why did the Israeli culture minister call for an investigation?** Miki Zohar called for an investigation to identify the anonymous military sources in the documentary and to determine if the filmmakers' actions amount to aiding the enemy during wartime.
- **What actions has the Israeli culture minister taken?** Zohar has requested authorities to investigate the sources and materials of the documentary and asked the interior ministry to consider revoking the citizenship of the filmmakers on charges of treason.
- **What is the Israeli military's stance on the documentary?** The Israeli military has criticized the use of anonymous testimonies in the film and contested specific claims made by interviewees, stating there is no supporting evidence for these allegations.
