Netanyahu Demands Probe Into NAZA Film Sources — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Netanyahu ordered the chief of general staff, Shin Bet head, and attorney general to investigate and prosecute the 24 anonymous Israeli sources in the NAZA documentary, citing information security violations, criminal libel, and harm to Israel's diplomatic and security interests.
- NAZA, which draws on testimony from unnamed Israeli military whistleblowers accusing the army of using AI-powered targeting systems to kill civilians in Gaza, won a special jury prize at the Venice International Film Festival and received a 25-minute standing ovation.
- The Israeli military "categorically" rejected the whistleblowers' allegations, calling some assertions "absurd" and contradictory, and insisted that strike selection and approval "are made by human personnel only."
- Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered an investigation into suspected leaks of classified military information used in the film's production and called for legal action against participants.
- Netanyahu and Culture Minister Miki Zohar threatened to revoke the Israeli citizenship of directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who have been accused of "treason."
- Tzipi Hotovely, head of Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate, awarded certificates of recognition to creators of a counter-film, NAZA: The Real Story, featuring soldiers refuting the original film's claims.
- 43 Israeli rights groups defended the NAZA filmmakers and denounced the threats against them, per Israel's Channel 12 news.
Why it matters: Netanyahu's prosecution demand, paired with the military chief of staff's parallel leak investigation and citizenship revocation threats against the directors, sharply raises the legal cost for Israeli whistleblowers who speak publicly about Gaza operations, while 43 domestic rights groups have rallied to defend the filmmakers.
Ask SkimNews
