The Israel Film Council on Wednesday recommended that Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar completely abolish the scoring mechanism that provides government support to films participating in international festivals, including the controversial documentary NAZA. At the same time, the council proposed establishing a dedicated funding track exclusively for films depicting the heroism of IDF soldiers and Israel's military campaigns.
Zohar immediately welcomed the recommendations and announced he would adopt them swiftly. "International festivals have proven time and again that they seek to harm the State of Israel, and the state has no reason to fund films designed to succeed in those venues," the minister said. "The recommendation to establish a dedicated support track for films about the heroism of our fighters is an important recommendation that we will implement quickly. The cinema reform I led has transformed the industry, and these decisions will only strengthen it."
Film Council officials explained that the measures are designed to counter waves of defamation and slander funded against Israel in global media and festivals, while strengthening creative work connected to national identity and the memory of heroism. Under the proposal, the scoring system that awards financial support to films winning prizes overseas would be eliminated entirely, a step aimed at preventing public funding for content that damages the state's reputation.
The new support mechanism would be devoted entirely to content highlighting the contributions of IDF soldiers and security forces to ensuring the state's survival, in the spirit of Memorial Day law principles. Council officials emphasized that the recommendations are the product of professional work that began well before the current wave of controversy, and that the reform will continue to preserve freedom of expression and creativity while redirecting core incentives toward Israeli memory and identity.
