Netanyahu seeks citizenship-stripping law after Venice prize for Gaza documentary Naza

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a law to revoke the citizenship of anyone who defames soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel’s armed forces, following the Venice premiere of the Gaza documentary NAZA. The call was reported by Variety on 17 September 2026.

In a video posted to X, Netanyahu said: “We will hit them in their pockets and also in their citizenship, because their place is not among us.” He also proposed raising twentyfold the damages that people accused of slandering IDF soldiers can be sued for. That would mean courts could order much larger payouts in such cases.

NAZA is co-directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, both Israeli citizens. The film is built around interviews with 24 Israeli military intelligence officers and soldiers. Its official logline says it sets out in detail the systems behind Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Abraham and Szor are Oscar-winning directors. They spoke publicly about the film on 10 September 2026, in comments captured on video and published by Reuters. The makers have said they intend to distribute the film in Israel, according to Haaretz.

At Venice, NAZA won the special jury prize, an award chosen by the festival jury. The ovation lasted 24.5 minutes. That duration was described as the longest in the festival’s history.

Israel’s culture minister Miki Zohar threatened to revoke the Israeli citizenship of Abraham and Szor over the film. He called the documentary shocking and accused its makers of betraying the state. The Guardian reported on 14 September that he accused the pair of “treason against the state”.

Netanyahu described the film as “shocking incitement”, Reuters reported on 15 September. The Times of Israel reported on 16 September that the pledged bill would strip citizenship from those who smear IDF soldiers abroad.

For viewers new to the story, the row now links three strands. A festival premiere with a prize and a record ovation. A threat aimed at two Israeli film-makers. And a proposed change to citizenship and defamation law.

The statements have followed in quick succession since the Venice screenings. The directors addressed the film on 10 September. Reports of the plan to screen it in Israel, the treason accusation, the “shocking incitement” comment and the citizenship bill followed between 14 and 17 September.