Culture Minister Condemns Gaza Documentary as ‘Vile’ Following Venice Film Festival Award
Published On 14 Sep 2026
Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar has declared his intention to revoke the citizenship of filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor following the success of their documentary, “NAZA,” which examines Israel’s actions in Gaza. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.
In a statement on X, Zohar labeled the documentary “vile” and its recognition “shocking,” asserting that the filmmakers damaged Israel’s reputation solely to gain approval from antisemitic groups globally.
The minister described their work as an act of treason, writing, “As culture minister, I will act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of these despicable creators for treason against the state.”
The 80-minute documentary details the deployment of AI-driven systems in what the Venice Film Festival’s official synopsis terms “calculated mass killings” of Palestinians in Gaza. Its premiere was met with a 25-minute standing ovation.
The film incorporates anonymous accounts from Israeli military and intelligence officials, who revealed the use of an AI system called “Lavender” for monitoring Palestinian communications and facilitating targeted killings.
Abraham stated that he hopes the documentary will compel Western governments to enact economic sanctions against Israel.
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