About 1,000 figures from Israel’s film industry have signed a statement expressing solidarity with Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the directors of "NAZA," an award-winning documentary examining allegations of civilian killings in Gaza.
According to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the filmmakers condemned what they described as an “unprecedented campaign of incitement” against Abraham and Szor, whose documentary was produced by The Guardian.
Among those expressing support for the directors are filmmakers and industry figures including Liran Atzmor, Nadav Lapid, Orna Ben Dor, Netalie Braun, Rani Blair, Hagai Levi, Shai Carmeli-Pollak and Shlomi Elkabetzyer.
The statement called on Israelis to watch "NAZA" before making a judgment about the allegations surrounding the documentary.
“As filmmakers and creators, we call on everyone who continues to fight for freedom of expression and freedom of art to support and stand in solidarity with the creators of the film "NAZA," Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham,” the statement said.
It described the campaign against the directors as “unprecedented defamation and incitement,” saying it had reached a level that could legitimize violence and pose physical threats to their lives.
“The fundamental duty of art and journalism is to hold a mirror to the society in which they exist and to create an environment for discourse and debate without granting anyone privilege, no matter how difficult the facts may be,” the statement said.
The filmmakers also condemned those in the film industry, academia and journalism who chose to criticize "NAZA" without watching it.
The statement said the participation of some Israeli filmmakers and writers in criticism of the documentary’s directors had provided a basis for Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar’s threats to revoke the citizenship of Szor and Abraham.
The title "NAZA" refers to an acronym reportedly used by the Israeli military for civilians, including men, women and children, who are “expected to die in an attack.”
The documentary was filmed secretly over three years on rooftops in Tel Aviv. Different interview methods were used to protect the identities of participants, whose voices and appearances were digitally altered.
Participants in the documentary describe what they say are secret systems and methods used by the Israeli military in Gaza, including surveillance systems and long-distance bombing operations.
According to the participants, artificial intelligence is used to identify potential Hamas targets, while homes are sometimes bombed despite information that families are inside.
The documentary also features Israeli military personnel who say they directly witnessed the deliberate burning of residential areas used as shelters by Palestinians in Gaza and people being killed while receiving food.
Some of those interviewed for "NAZA" are reportedly former members of a secret intelligence unit who worked directly under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
