Israeli documentary ‘NAZA’ opens in the US, reigniting debate over the war in Gaza

VENICE, Italy (AP) — The opening in U.S. theaters of the “NAZA” documentary, in which Israeli military insiders describe what they say was the reckless killing of civilians in Gaza, is likely to rekindle the searing debate over America’s military support for Israel ahead of congressional elections.Israel’s wartime conduct has sparked global outrage, as have the billions of dollars in American military support provided by the Biden and Trump administrations. The war has bitterly divided Democrats and some Republicans.The film received a record 25-minute standing ovation when it debuted at the Venice Film Festival.

The backlash in Israel, which holds its own elections at the end of this month, has been just as thunderous.“NAZA,” named for the Hebrew acronym for collateral damage, contends that Israel used sophisticated systems -- some operated by artificial intelligence -- to hunt and kill suspected militants, carrying out strikes the military knew would kill large numbers of civilians.The Israeli military has “categorically” denied the filmmakers’ findings and threatened to track down the soldiers who spoke to them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the film was antisemitic, and a Cabinet minister threatened to strip the filmmakers of their citizenship. Yuval Abraham, one of the co-directors, fears he won’t be able to return home.At the New York Film Festival premiere last month, a few dozen protesters gathered outside showing images of Hamas’ Oct.

7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Abraham acknowledged the “massacre” and said it was “completely unjustified.”“But it also cannot justify what you’ve seen in the film … (the) slaughter of so many civilians in Gaza, the massacres at food sites,” he said.Soldiers describe alleged atrocitiesAbraham and co-director Rachel Szor knew the documentary would spark controversy. Their previous film, “No Other Land,” made with two Palestinian filmmakers about the struggles faced by Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, got a similar split-screen reception – winning an Oscar but infuriating many in Israel.For all the bombastic claims surrounding it, “NAZA” is stark in its minimalism.

There are no talking heads, no file footage of airstrikes – just interviews at night on Tel Aviv rooftops with individuals whose faces and voices are obscured. Some use pen and paper to draw what they are describing.One recal…