Documentary alleges Israel bombs Gaza regardless of risk to civilians
NAZA got a standing ovation at the Venice festival, but the IDF is exploring legal action
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IDF → allege → action
On the streets of Jerusalem, there’s no debating whether the directors of the documentary film NAZA, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, are truth-tellers or traitors.
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directors → debate → film
They should be "in jail for betraying the country, betraying the army, betraying Jewish [people] all over the world,” said Revital Hershko.
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Hershko → betray → world
Hershko, like many in Israel, has been watching media coverage about the film, which got a special jury prize and a 25-minute standing ovation when it premiered at the Venice International Film Festival last week.
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it → watch → Festival
Over roughly an hour and a half, NAZA details Israeli war tactics used in Gaza including AI systems that, by design, target wanted individuals in civilian spaces like apartment buildings — killing average Palestinians.
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that → detail → Palestinians
Abraham and Szor are Israeli, prompting many to label them as lying traitors.
"I think they make a very bad damage to our country.
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they → prompt → country
It's not true what they said.
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they → say → what
They lie.
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They → lie → ?
All the soldiers, they didn't do anything," said Dalia Shemtov, a resident of Netanya who was out with friends in Jerusalem when she overheard CBC News asking locals about the film and what they’ve heard.
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they → do → what
While many of the people CBC spoke with are furious about the film, no one had seen it, since it’s still only on the festival circuit.
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it → speak → circuit
It’s grabbing headlines because of the people featured — not Palestinians talking about the tens of thousands of people killed in Gaza after nearly three years of Israel's war with Hamas, but because of 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel.
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It → grab → personnel
They describe, albeit anonymously, how attacks are approved and their statements counter official lines coming from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) that it goes to great lengths to reduce the number of civilian casualties.
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it → describe → casualties
The IDF has rejected the film's allegations, saying because only anonymous sources are used there is no way to verify if they have had any direct knowledge of Israeli military operations.
It has also labelled one claim from the trailer as "completely false" — in which a man says he was aware of approval for an airstrike to kill 500 people.
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he → reject → people
Although he does say he does not know exactly how many died because there was no official count.
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many → say → ?
Lt.-Gen Eyal Zamir, the IDF's chief of general staff, on Monday instructed military lawyers to explore legal options against the filmmakers.
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Zamir → instruct → filmmakers
The film was produced by the British newspaper the Guardian, which in a statement said it "will robustly defend" NAZA and its team "from any attacks or attempts at censorship."
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it → produce → censorship
Abraham says he and Szor felt a responsibility as Israelis to use their position and abilities to bring insider testimony to light.
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he → say → light
"There is a direct correlation between the silence or between the denial of the crimes and their ability to persist,” he said at a news event in Venice.
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he → be → Venice
Fellow Israeli filmmaker Uri Rosenwaks has created an online petition in support of the film, calling on those "still fighting for freedom of expression" to sign.
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Rosenwaks → create → expression
But the criticisms keep coming.
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criticisms → come → ?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video released by his Likud Party, called the film "shocking" and said it's "intolerable" that Israel must "fight antisemitic incitement" both globally and within.
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Israel → release → incitement
And a man who was held captive in Gaza for 505 days said on Instagram: "I'm angry on a level I can’t describe."
Eliya Cohen was among the 251 people kidnapped in the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants crossed into Israel — killing 1,200 Israelis and foreign workers and igniting Israel's war on Hamas, which has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to officials there.
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In his video, translated for CBC News, Cohen says he wants to see pictures of Abraham and Szor posted outside and "across every possible media platform, so that when they walk down the street … they should feel ashamed."
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they → hold → street
North American audiences will get to reach their own conclusions when NAZA plays at the New York Film Festival, which begins Sept. 25.
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which → get → Festival
The Aporia
