Far-right activists protest at ‘Naza’ film director’s family home

Dozens of far-right Israeli activists on Wednesday evening demonstrated outside the home of the parents of “Naza” film director Rachel Tzur in the central Israeli town of Savyon, chanting slogans including “death penalty for traitors,” according to Hebrew media reports. The protesters gathered to denounce Tzur and co-director Yuval Abraham following the documentary’s Special Jury Prize win at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Saturday, the Walla news website reported.

Demonstrators accused the Oscar-winning filmmakers of portraying Israeli soldiers as “murderers” before the world, with some shouting explicit calls for violence against the directors. Israel Hayom reported that organizers and many participants were activists and campaign staff associated with the Jewish Power party led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, citing unnamed sources.

Film features soldier testimonies on Gaza

“Naza,” directed by Abraham and Tzur, features testimonies from Israeli officers and soldiers regarding alleged war crimes committed during Israel’s war on Gaza. The film includes accounts from military personnel who said they witnessed actions including the burning of residential areas used as shelters and the killing of people during food distribution.

The title refers to an acronym used by Israeli military intelligence to denote the number of civilians expected to be killed in an airstrike, according to the filmmakers. The documentary has drawn sharp criticism from Israeli officials since its premiere at the Venice festival.

Netanyahu government moves to sanction filmmakers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week that he would advance two bills targeting people he accused of defaming Israeli soldiers, remarks that referred in part to the “Naza” documentary. The demonstration came shortly after those comments, as officials moved to open multiple investigations into the filmmakers.

Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir on Monday instructed the military prosecutor to examine possible legal action against Abraham and Tzur. Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar on Wednesday asked Shin Bet chief David Zini to open an urgent investigation into the documentary, according to Israeli media reports.