Israel‘s Minister of Culture Miki Zohar has initiated efforts to revoke the Israeli citizenships of filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, Variety reported. This action follows the release of their documentary titled NAZA, which Zohar described as a “shocking” production that demonstrates a betrayal of the state.
The documentary has gained significant attention after its recent premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The project received a standing ovation that lasted 24.5 minutes, marking the longest recorded reception in the history of the festival. In addition to this response, Abraham and Szor were presented with the special jury prize for their filmmaking efforts.
Zohar expressed strong disapproval regarding the content of the film and the motivations of its creators. He released a statement regarding his intentions to pursue the revocation of their citizenship status. “The self-loathing that burns in the creators, who are willing to harm their homeland just to get applause from antisemites around the world, is inconceivable and constitutes a betrayal of the state,” Zohar wrote. “As Minister of Culture, I will act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of these despicable creators for betraying the state.”
The film focuses on the systems behind the military actions in Gaza
According to the official logline for the project, NAZA shows “in detail the systems behind Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.” Abraham addressed the controversy surrounding the film during his acceptance speech at the festival. He pointed out that many Israeli officials and members of the press have criticized the project without viewing the material themselves.
Culture Minister Miki Zohar said he would "act immediately" to revoke the citizenship of Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor over their documentary NAZA.https://t.co/ALuvtpzomy
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) September 14, 2026
“It’s honestly not very easy to stand here, thinking of all the Israeli politicians and journalists who are now attacking this film and denying it without even seeing it. So much is being done not to look at reality,” Abraham said. The director emphasized that he believes the film serves as a necessary confrontation with current events.
“We believe that the denial of a crime is what helps it persist, and that’s why it’s especially important for us that Israelis watch this film — it’s our country that is doing these crimes — that Europeans watch it, and especially here in Italy because your government and the German government are blocking pressure on Israel that can end this, that Americans watch it because that country is funding much of the killing,” Abraham added.
