Netanyahu Pushes Citizenship-Stripping Bills as 24-Insider Gaza Film Triggers Death Threats
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 19
Netanyahu Pushes Citizenship-Stripping Bills as 24-Insider Gaza Film Triggers Death Threats
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 19
Summary
Netanyahu said he would advance two bills to revoke citizenship and impose financial penalties on Israelis who "defame" soldiers, escalating the backlash to the Gaza documentary NAZA.
The 80-minute film, built on testimony from 24 anonymised Israeli military insiders, alleges AI-assisted systems helped select thousands of people for strikes in a war that has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians.
Death threats quickly followed: protesters outside Rachel Szor’s parents’ home called for the "death penalty for traitors," and rightwing activists broke into the offices of +972 Magazine and Local Call.
At Venice, NAZA drew a 25-minute standing ovation and will open in U.S. cinemas on Sept. 30, while Israeli human-rights groups and international press-freedom organisations rallied behind the filmmakers.
The furor has become an election issue ahead of October voting, reflecting a wider crackdown on dissent since Oct. 7, 2023 and deepening concern over Israel’s shrinking space for criticism.