Overview
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the attorney general, the army chief and the head of Shin Bet on Monday to identify participants in the film NAZA and to open criminal investigations into those involved.
- The documentary rests on testimony from 24 anonymous current and former military and intelligence sources who say the IDF selected targets after estimating likely civilian deaths using a shorthand called “NAZA.”
- Filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor have faced intimidation and threats and the Israeli army has publicly disputed the film’s claims while the culture minister proposed revoking the directors’ citizenship.
- NAZA won a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival, received a 25-minute standing ovation and grossed about €4 million in Italy, boosting its international profile before Israel’s official rebuttals.
- No public indictments have been reported so far and the requested probes could affect whistleblowing, press freedom and Israel’s security and diplomatic interests, depending on what investigators find.