Documentary alleging Israel committed wanton killing in Gaza gets standing ovation in Venice

A documentary titled NAZA, which features testimony from Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers alleging that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) knowingly killed large numbers of civilians during the military campaign in Gaza, received a 25-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday.

Directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the 80-minute film is based on three years of interviews with 24 soldiers, most of whom served as intelligence officers. The participants, whose identities are concealed in the documentary, describe the processes of surveillance, target selection, and the authorization of strikes where civilian casualties were anticipated. The film’s title is derived from the Hebrew military acronym for collateral damage.

The IDF has rejected the allegations presented in the film. In a statement, the military asserted that the documentary misrepresents conventional military considerations regarding the proportionality of strikes and the utility of hitting specific targets. The IDF stated that it does not carry out strikes when anticipated civilian harm is excessive in relation to the military advantage, and it emphasized that intelligence systems are tools for analysts rather than autonomous target-selection systems. The military further stated that all targets undergo independent human review and denied the existence of any policy to deliberately kill civilians.

The documentary was produced by Abraham and Szor in collaboration with James Wilson and executive producer Jonathan Glazer. Some of the testimonies featured in the film were previously published in investigations by the Israeli publication +972, its sister site Local Call, and The Guardian.

In a statement released by the Venice Film Festival, the directors said the film was intended for both international audiences and Israeli society. The documentary is one of 21 films competing for the Golden Lion at this year’s festival.

The film’s premiere drew varied reactions. Haggai Matar, executive director of +972 Magazine, described the testimonies as essential for the Israeli public to hear. Conversely, some social media users, including individuals identifying as military veterans, criticized the film and its promoters, denying that the military intentionally targets families and accusing the filmmakers of slandering Israeli soldiers.

Article and image source: jta.org