Controversial Documentary “NAZA” – Lies and Manipulation : By Zanna Linskaia With Commentary by Rudy Rozanski
Commentary – Full Statement by Rudy Rozanski
“This is a powerful and revealing article. You clearly show how the filmmakers promote a narrative that aligns with groups hostile to Israel, and how they present themselves in ways that appeal to audiences who already hold strong anti‑Israel views. You also highlight that, historically, there have always been individuals within the Jewish community who, under intense pressure or widespread hostility, align themselves with those who oppose Israel — a pattern that has existed for generations.Your analysis of the unfounded claims in the film, and the way you connect those claims to the personal history and motivations of its creators, is very effective. Films like this create the false impression that there are ‘two equal sides’ to the events of October 7, even though the attack was a deliberate act of mass violence carried out by Hamas, a designated terrorist organization responsible for severe harm and human rights violations. Many people are easily influenced by content presented in a journalistic style, even when the underlying information is misleading. That is why your article is so timely and important. It challenges misinformation and encourages readers to look critically at the sources behind these narratives. Your message reminds us of voices who warned about these dangers long before October 7.” — Rudy Rozanski
By Zanna Linskaia
Israel marks the third anniversary of the most cruel and horrific massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, the attack by Hamas terrorists and Palestinians from Gaza at the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023.
Cynically, on September 24, 2026, Oscar‑winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor presented their new documentary NAZA at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, winning a Special Jury Prize and receiving a 25 minute standing ovation from an enthusiastic, left‑leaning crowd.
What is this film about, and how did it become such a media sensation?
Abraham and Szor use anonymous interviews with 24 supposed IDF veterans to claim that Israeli soldiers and officers commit “genocide” in Gaza. It is difficult to believe these claims when the film shows no faces, no bodies, no identifiable voices, and provides no documents, videos, or photographs. Only shadowed figures filmed at night in Tel Aviv, making accusations that Israel systematically targets civilians.
The acronym NAZA in Hebrew refers to “collateral damage.” While the filmmakers rely on obvious falsifications and familiar tools of Hamas and anti‑Israel propaganda, senior U.S. military specialists have repeatedly stated that the IDF is the only army in the world that consistently takes concrete steps to avoid civilian harm — including phone calls, flyers, text messages, and evacuation warnings before strikes. The IDF maintains that civilian deaths are caused by Hamas and other terror groups embedding themselves among civilians.
The IDF issued an official response calling the documentary “distorted, misleading, and disingenuous.” They noted that the filmmakers did not submit their allegations for examination, did not provide a copy of the film despite requests, and relied on individuals who are not experts in defining genocide making the film’s claims manipulative and irrelevant.
The Guardian, which produced the film, dismissed the IDF’s comments. The filmmakers were supported by the New York Times and other outlets that have targeted Israel and the IDF since the beginning of the war in Gaza. For many Israelis, the creators of NAZA are seen as liars and traitors who betrayed the IDF, Israel, the murdered hostages, and the 1,200 people killed on October 7.
Who are Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor?
They previously co created No Other Land, which won an Oscar in 2025, in collaboration with Palestinian activists Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal. They describe themselves as activists using journalism and cinema to expose what they call “state crimes” committed by Israel.
Independent Israeli researcher Meran Tal of the Regavim intelligence office stated that Abraham is not a journalist but a radical left‑wing activist who distorts facts to promote an extremist agenda. Abraham’s reporting has highlighted the Gaza‑based Nafha Learning Center, operated by Ahmed Al‑Falit, a convicted terrorist affiliated with Hamas who publicly celebrated the October 7 massacre. Abraham has portrayed Al Falit as a hero, fitting him into a narrative that aligns with his political agenda.
American researcher Eitan Fischberg documented Abraham’s long relationship with Ahmed Alnaouq, who has ties to Hamas and serves as vice president and treasurer of Euro‑Media Human Rights Group, which promotes anti‑Israel legal campaigns worldwide. Abraham has described Alnaouq as “a close friend and colleague” and “a partner in a political path.”
American publisher Sela Meir characterized Abraham not as a filmmaker with “a complex narrative,” but as “a serial liar caught red‑handed while staging, distorting, and erasing real facts.”
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