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Tuesday, September 15
Global Free Speech

CPJ condemns Israeli threats against ‘NAZA’ filmmakers

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CPJ condemns Israeli threats against ‘NAZA’ filmmakers

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The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Israeli authorities to immediately end threats of legal action against Israeli journalist and filmmaker Yuval Abraham and filmmaker Rachel Szor over their documentary “NAZA,” which accuses the Israeli military of using AI-powered targeting systems in the mass killing of civilians in Gaza.

Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar has threatened to seek the revocation of Abraham’s and Szor’s Israeli citizenship under the country’s Citizenship Law, saying it “allows for the revocation of citizenship due to a ‘breach of allegiance to the State of Israel.’” Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Monday said military lawyers were examining “possible legal measures concerning the film and those involved in it,” accusing them of  “blood libels, deliberate distortions of reality and grave, false accusations against IDF soldiers and commanders.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also publicly denounced the filmmakers and their documentary, which won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival. Member of Knesset and former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman called Abraham and Szor “haters of Israel,” while the former prime minister Naftali Bennett described the film, titled with an IDF acronym for “collateral damage,” as “a horrific blood libel against our sons and daughters.”

“Israeli authorities must ensure the safety of Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor and immediately reject any attempt to use citizenship rights as a weapon against journalists,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “Threats from senior government officials can have a chilling effect on journalists and encourage members of the public to engage in intimidation and silencing against them. These threats cannot be dismissed as political rhetoric. They are a warning to journalists and sources about the potential consequences of reporting critically on powerful institutions—and a dangerous signal to other journalists considering whether to investigate or expose alleged wrongdoing.”

Since October 2023, CPJ has documented widespread attacks and restrictions against journalists covering the Israel-Gaza war. Israeli and international journalists working in Israel and the occupied West Bank have faced threats and physical assaults, while Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza have been killed, arrested, and detained, and faced restrictions on their ability to report.

In February 2024, Abraham received death threats after he and Palestinian co-director Basel Adra won awards at the Berlin International Film Festival for “No Other Land.” Abraham canceled his flight home after a right-wing Israeli mob threatened his family at their home, forcing them to flee overnight.

In response to an email requesting comment, the Israeli military referred CPJ to the “political echelon.” The prime minister’s office and culture ministry did not respond by the time of publication.

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