The Israeli Film Directors Pushing for a Reckoning in Their Home Country

The documentary film “NAZA,” which investigates the methods the Israeli military has used in the war in Gaza since the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, received a record-breaking standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival last month. Just a few days later, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would propose legislation that could revoke the directors’ Israeli citizenship, arguing that they had defamed their country.

Now, with a global theatrical release underway, the directors spoke with “The Daily” to discuss the film and all the pushback that it — and they — have experienced.

Guest: 

• Rachel Szor, an Israeli investigative journalist, film director and activist.
• Yuval Abraham, an Israeli investigative journalist, film director and Arabic-Hebrew translator.

Background reading: 

• After accolades abroad, “NAZA” met backlash at home.
• Read The Times’s review of the film.

Photo: Stefano Rellandini/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images, The Guardian/IFC Center, Ander Gillenea/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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