Israel promotes counter-film and threatens directors of Gaza documentary NAZA

Documentary investigation and global rollout

Directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the 80-minute documentary NAZA examines Israeli military operations and targeting decisions in the Gaza Strip. Abraham and Szor previously directed the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land alongside Palestinian filmmakers Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal. The project derives its title from nezek agavi, a Hebrew military acronym meaning collateral damage, which serves as official terminology for estimated civilian deaths caused by an airstrike. Filmed at night across Tel Aviv rooftops, the production features interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence personnel, soldiers, and state officials whose identities are concealed by darkness and digital distortion. Testimonies describe artificial intelligence systems tracking suspected targets to residential buildings, standard operational thresholds permitting 20 civilian deaths per strike, and one attack where the permitted limit reached 500 casualties. Following its screening at the Venice International Film Festival on 10 September 2026, where it earned the Special Jury Prize after a near-25-minute ovation, the Guardian-produced film secured theatrical distribution across more than 50 countries.

Backlash and threats against the filmmakers

The documentary has not screened publicly in Israel, where government officials reacted with immediate condemnation and hostile rhetoric. Political figures accused Abraham and Szor of treason and launched formal proposals to strip the two Israeli filmmakers of their citizenship. Producer James Wilson addressed the political backlash during an onstage discussion at the BFI London Film Festival. Wilson noted that fierce attacks originated largely from Israeli politicians who had not watched the completed film. He referenced coverage in the American Jewish magazine Forward, explaining that the domestic hostility constituted a meta dimension anticipated by the work. Despite threats and administrative pressure, Wilson confirmed that both directors remain safe and continue to travel for the international rollout.

Wilson described the hostility directed at Abraham and Szor while speaking in London.

To have made a film, a documentary film and be threatened by the political elites of your home country, with charges of treason and defamation... it been very difficult and stressful and horrible and scary for them.

State-backed counter-offensive and recognition

To counter the documentary, attorney and army reservist Ariel Averbuch, Israel First party candidate Roi Danino, and Hagai Gutman produced a 50-minute film titled NAZA: The Real Story. Averbuch termed the initiative an offensive move designed to emphasize the morality of the armed forces against international criticism. The team registered nazadocumentary.com on 16 September 2026, initially publishing a spoof synopsis that mimicked the real film while deleting references to civilian casualties. Israeli embassies began sharing links to the production across diplomatic channels to redirect international attention away from the original investigation. The counter-film website features an unverified view counter showing 42 million visits, compared to 30,000 views on its official YouTube video. On 8 October 2026, Tzipi Hotovely, head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, presented official certificates of recognition to the three creators.

Hotovely defended the armed forces in an official statement accompanying the award.

The film presents the truth of Israel and the morality of the IDF soldiers in the face of infamous slanders and lies spread against us throughout the world.