Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced his support for legislation that would allow Israel to revoke the citizenship of individuals who defame soldiers or the state abroad. This move comes in response to the documentary 'NAZA', which accuses the Israeli military of knowingly killing large numbers of civilians in Gaza. The documentary, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, has sparked controversy and debate in Israel.
Netanyahu also plans to advance a separate bill that would raise damages in defamation cases involving the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) or the state to as much as NIS 1 million. He cited a remark by Democrats party leader Yair Golan, who said that "a sane country does not kill children as a hobby", as well as a 2024 leak of surveillance footage from the Sde Teiman detention facility. The footage appeared to show reservists abusing a Palestinian detainee.
The proposed legislation has been met with criticism from various groups, including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and the Committee to Protect Journalists. They argue that using state power to threaten the filmmakers or their sources is "illegitimate and violates freedom of expression and freedom of the press". Over 2,000 Israeli film professionals have signed a petition supporting Abraham and Szor, warning that the campaign against them could legitimize violence.
President Isaac Herzog has rejected the idea of stripping the filmmakers' citizenship, calling it "completely irrelevant" and saying it had "no chance" of happening. However, Herzog did call 'NAZA' "a shame and disgrace" and accused those involved in its making of "tarnishing" Israel's name abroad. The current Israeli law allows citizenship to be revoked only in narrowly defined cases involving a "breach of loyalty", such as terrorism or treason.
The documentary 'NAZA' is based on interviews with 24 anonymous Israeli soldiers who describe their roles in surveillance, target selection, and strikes in Gaza. The film argues that expected civilian deaths were routinely calculated in advance and, in some cases, accepted as part of the targeting process. The IDF has rejected these allegations, calling them "blood libels" and a "deliberate distortion of reality".
Lieutenant Colonel Sarit Zehavi, a former military intelligence officer, disputed the film's interpretation of "NAZA", which is the Hebrew military term for "collateral damage". Zehavi said that the estimate of civilian deaths is used in the planning process as a warning about the number of civilians who could be harmed in a strike. The IDF initially issued a detailed public rebuttal, but later appeared to change course and recommended lowering the temperature and focusing on rebutting the documentary's allegations.
Culture Minister Miki Zohar thanked Netanyahu for backing the proposal, saying it was "time to put an end to this disgrace". The Prime Minister's Office has been accused of "fuelling the internal debate around the film for political reasons and as part of an election campaign". Forty-three Israeli human rights, equality, and peace organisations have urged authorities to avoid prosecuting the filmmakers or their sources.
Key points
- Netanyahu supports legislation to revoke citizenship of those who defame soldiers or the state abroad.
- The documentary 'NAZA' accuses the Israeli military of knowingly killing large numbers of civilians in Gaza.
- The proposed legislation has been met with criticism from various groups, including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
