Netanyahu vows tougher penalties for critics of Israeli soldiers after Gaza documentary

JERUSALEM, Sept. 16 — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he would advance legislation to revoke the citizenship of anyone who defames Israeli soldiers, escalating his response to the filmmakers of “NAZA,” a documentary alleging that Israeli troops routinely factored mass civilian deaths into targeting decisions in Gaza.

The film was directed by Israeli journalists Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. Netanyahu and the military reject its central claims.

“NAZA,” which won a major prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, takes its title from an Israeli military term for anticipated collateral casualties. The documentary is based on anonymous interviews with intelligence officers and soldiers.

The film has triggered a backlash in Israel, where the military is considering possible legal action against those involved in its production. It has also intensified political tensions ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 election, in which public opinion polls indicate Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition could lose power.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu accused several election rivals of failing to take a sufficiently firm position against the documentary, arguing that their response made them unfit to govern. On Wednesday, he pledged to advance two bills intended to address what he called the “immense damage” inflicted on Israeli soldiers.

Netanyahu said the first proposal would strip citizenship from anyone who defames soldiers, while the second would raise the maximum statutory damages available in defamation cases by 20 times. He said the measures would impose both financial and citizenship-related consequences.

Netanyahu cited three incidents in support of the proposals: the “NAZA” film, which he said portrayed officers and soldiers as war criminals; 2025 remarks by former general and current left-wing politician Yair Golan in which he said a “sane country does not kill children as a hobby”; and the 2024 leak of a video showing soldiers abusing a Gaza detainee, released by a military legal officer.

Reuters could not immediately reach the “NAZA” filmmakers for comment.

In 2022, Israel’s Supreme Court upheld legislation allowing citizenship to be revoked from Israelis found to have breached trust in the state. Any new law would likely face judicial challenges.

The filmmakers have said they believe it is important for Israelis to watch the documentary and confront the account it presents.

Gaza’s health authorities say more than 73,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel’s military campaign, which has devastated much of the territory.

The war began after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians, according to Israeli figures.

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