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Netanyahu orders identification and prosecution of soldiers interviewed in Gaza documentary

Israeli PM calls for criminal investigation into those involved in the award-winning film NAZA

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the attorney general and the head of the Shin Bet security service to identify soldiers and officers interviewed in the documentary NAZA and prosecute them, accusing the film of harming Israel's diplomatic and security interests.

In a letter addressed to attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara, IDF chief of staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir and Shin Bet head David Zini, Netanyahu demanded they "act urgently to uncover the identity of all those who are involved or appear in the libel film". He called for "the opening of a criminal investigation and prosecution for serious information security offences, criminal defamation, and harming Israel's diplomatic and security interests".

NAZA, directed by the Oscar-winning film-makers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor and produced by the Guardian, details Israel's mass killing of civilians in Gaza. The film takes its name from an acronym used euphemistically by Israeli intelligence to indicate how many civilians it expects to be killed in an airstrike.

The documentary premiered at the Venice international film festival last month, where it won the special jury prize after receiving the longest ovation in the event's history. It is currently in cinemas, including in the UK and the US, and will be shown in more than 50 countries.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The order uses state security powers against people who spoke to an investigative documentary, making it a test of press freedom and the protection of journalistic sources in Israel.
  • If acted on, it could deter serving soldiers and officers from speaking publicly about civilian harm in Gaza.
  • Because NAZA is screening in more than 50 countries, the dispute is set to play out on an international stage.

Background

NAZA is an investigative documentary about the killing of civilians in Gaza during the war that followed the Hamas attacks in October 2023. According to its producers, the film's title comes from an acronym Israeli intelligence uses for the number of civilians expected to die in an airstrike. Netanyahu's letter rejects the film as a "libel film" that damages Israel's security and diplomatic standing, reflecting the government's long-held position that external scrutiny of its military campaign is illegitimate. Whether the attorney general and the Shin Bet head comply with the prime minister's request will determine whether the order becomes an actual prosecution.

Key Perspectives

Israeli government: The film defames Israel and harms its diplomatic and security interests. Those who appear in it may have committed information security offences, and the prime minister wants them investigated and prosecuted. Film-makers and the Guardian, which produced the film: NAZA is an award-winning work of investigation, recognised at the Venice film festival, that documents the mass killing of civilians in Gaza. Critics and press freedom advocates: Demanding the disclosure of interviewees' identities risks criminalising journalism and creating a chilling effect that discourages serving personnel from discussing military conduct.

What to Watch

  • Whether attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara and Shin Bet head David Zini act on the directive or resist it, given both hold formal independence from the prime minister.
  • Any criminal proceedings or subpoenas against the film-makers or their sources in the coming weeks.
  • International reaction, including from governments in the more than 50 countries where NAZA is now screening.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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