Israeli Minister Vows to Revoke Citizenship of Filmmakers Over Venice Award
Culture Minister Miki Zohar vowed to revoke the citizenship of filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shor after their film 'Neza' won a prize in Venice.
Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar fiercely criticized the creators of the film "Neza" on Sunday following its win of the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival, announcing he will work immediately to revoke their Israeli citizenship. One of the film's directors, Yuval Abraham, responded to the criticism by stating he will do everything possible to have the film distributed in Israel.
"The win of the despicable film 'Neza' at the Venice Film Festival is shocking," Zohar stated in a press release. "The burning self-hatred of creators who are willing to harm their homeland to receive applause from anti-Semites around the world is incomprehensible and constitutes treason against the state. This is precisely why I led the important reform in cinema, so that Israeli citizens will no longer pay out of their own pockets for the defamation of ЦАХАЛ soldiers and the State of Israel. As Culture Minister, I will act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of these despicable creators for treason against the state."
Director's Response and Film Details
"It is important for our society to look at the actions committed in сектор Газа and listen to the soldiers speaking in the film," Abraham said in a video published Sunday evening in response to the win and the criticism. "We will do everything to ensure the film is distributed in Israel."
"Neza," directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shor, won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Festival. The film presents harsh criticism of ЦАХАЛ activities in сектор Газа and includes alleged testimonies regarding the systems behind mass killings in the strip. Its name is an acronym for the military term "collateral damage" (Nezek Agavi).
The film features testimonies from 24 soldiers and officers allegedly involved in planning and operating the systems behind the mass killings in Газа. The identities of the interviewees are concealed, their voices altered, and the interviews were filmed at night in near-total darkness on rooftops in Тель-Авив.
Festival Reception and Context
"It is certainly not easy to stand here and think of all the Israeli politicians and journalists who are now attacking this film and denying it without even having watched it. Denial of a crime is what allows it to continue," Abraham said during his acceptance speech.
In his acceptance speech, he also criticized Western nations, stating that it is especially important for Europeans to watch the film, particularly in Italy, because the Italian and German governments are blocking pressure on Israel that could bring an end to the war. He also called on audiences in the США to watch the film, saying Вашингтон funds a significant portion of the killings.
Abraham previously created, alongside Shor, Basel Adra, and Hamdan Ballal, the Oscar-winning film No Other Land. At this year's Venice Festival, John Malkovich won the acting award following the controversy over the cancellation of his performance in Israel, while the Golden Lion went to the Danish film Woman Unknown.
