NAZA interviewees now facing prosecution from Israeli government

Filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who previously directed the Academy Award-winning No Other Land with Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal, have already been targeted by the Israeli government for NAZA. In September, when the film won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar threatened to revoke the citizenship of Abraham and Szor, calling the documentary “vile,” according to Al Jazeera. The Guardian reports that the home of Szor’s parents has also been picketed, with people chanting “Death sentence to traitors” outside. The filmmakers have been defended by European Federation of Journalists general secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez, who says in a statement, “These threats constitute a blatant act of intimidation against journalists who have simply been doing their job, in strict accordance with ethical standards and in the public interest.” 

The NAZA filmmakers interview over 100 members of the IDF over three years for the film, which focuses on the AI systems and phone tracking used to identify alleged targets in Gaza. The film is currently playing in limited theaters in the United States, and will eventually be free to stream on The Guardian‘s website.