Anti-Israel filmmaker: Documentary going online for free

Yuval Abraham, co-director of the anti-Israel documentary "NAZA" that has drawn widespread condemnation in Israel, announced that the film will be available for free online viewing starting in November. In a post on X, he said the decision was made together with co-director Rachel Szor and The Guardian, which produced the film.

In the meantime, Abraham said, Israeli cinemas have been approached with an offer to screen the film at no cost, in the hope it will be shown in Israel alongside screenings worldwide. "I know there is huge demand," he claimed.

Abraham addressed criticism of the film, saying it is "based on comprehensive journalistic investigation over three years" and that the details in it are "verified and cross-checked." According to him, "it will speak for itself and the truth will ultimately become clear."

Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor at the Venice Film Festival awards ceremony (Photo: Social media)

"Criticism is not betrayal"

Responding to accusations in Israel that he committed an act of betrayal, Abraham wrote: "Journalism is not betrayal. Criticism is not betrayal. It is the duty of every citizen whose government commits crimes to know, and of every soldier who witnessed them to tell."

Abraham insisted that presenting events in Gaza does not, in his view, negate the October 7 massacre. "Recognizing the horrors in Gaza does not for a moment diminish the criminal massacre of October 7, for which Hamas is responsible, and which has no justification whatsoever," he wrote.

Addressing threats to revoke his citizenship and the storm surrounding the film, he said that despite "a difficult week" and the personal cost, he and Rachel intend to return to Israel and continue their work. "One thing is certain: the threats will not help. They do not deter us," he wrote.

The film "NAZA" is based, according to its creators, on testimony from 24 IDF soldiers, dealing with how the fighting in Gaza was conducted and the IDF's rules of engagement. The film, which purports to accuse Israel of deliberate and systematic fire at civilians in the Strip, recently won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.