If a poorly portrayed Israel wasn’t already in the headlines enough, now it’s in the cinema. “NAZA,” a documentary by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, debuted at the Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 10 and received a 25-minute standing ovation. I did not hear loud applause in the Silver Spring theater. In fact, it was quite the opposite: our audience was painfully silent and tense. A woman in a hijab walked out in tears. And, as a proud Israeli Zionist, I completely understand why.
The title of the film, “NAZA,” stands for “nezek agavi,” meaning collateral damage in Hebrew.
“NAZA” is almost entirely composed of interviews from IDF officers and soldiers, covering several aspects of IDF operations, including the process of configuring strikes in Gaza, the use of AI in determining collateral damage, and hacking into the phones of the Hamas terrorists’ children.
In the days before viewing the film, I was apprehensive and nervous, and honestly dreading what I had to see. I knew it would be difficult to watch, but still wanted to approach with an open mind and examine the evidence presented, then form an opinion on the testimonies, the supposed facts, and the inherent biases and agenda of the filmmakers.
For the most pressing question: are the directors Abraham and Szor traitors to the Jewish people? Contrary to popular belief, I think no, but the question goes deeper. Presenting a story purely using the testimonies of soldiers who simply want a place to voice their experiences is not inherently traitorous. The dialogue and the truth of their actions speak volumes on their own, and its discussion is important – between Jews and between the greater world – it should not be discouraged because it is uncomfortable. I promise to return to that point, and I promise to voice my critique.
My strongest feeling upon watching the film was disappointment. Not that the film was made, not for the soldiers sharing their experiences, and not for the directors who blasted our greatest flaw for the entire world to see, when Jews already receive unreasonable amounts of backlash. But my disappointment was with the fact that the conflict has been allowed to get to this point. With the fact that innocent Israelis and Gazans continue to be killed, three years after the massacres on Oct. 7, where are our leaders with their infinite knowledge and wisdom to offer us a solution?
That said, I can confidently say the directors could have done the same interviews with the same soldiers and made an entirely different film. They could have taken these troubled and traumatized individuals, allowed them to share their experiences earnestly, and painted the conflict in a light that says, “here are 24 people that took part in the war on Gaza, and here are the ways they may regret their actions (which they were directed to do).” But instead, they shared a sentiment that villanizes not only every individual in the army, but every Israeli.
By cutting between the casual statements of cold brutality and the visual depictions of the ordinary lives of Tel Avivians, the filmmakers attempt to draw a connection between the nonchalance of the apparent violence and the genuine, unbothered Israelis simply going about their evenings. They implicate and condemn everyone, saying, “see how the persecution of Gazans goes completely unnoticed by those living only 40 miles away.” This rhetoric is harmful, twisted and completely baseless.
There are also numerous points in the film in which obvious parallels are drawn to Nazis, which is equally dangerous. One of the soldiers goes so far as to recall his trip to Poland to visit the concentration camps, explaining how they’re evil, and questioning himself and his own morals. Multiple interviewees mention a larger idea of being “small cogs in a machine,” simply following orders. Regardless of how the parallels appear, we should never reach this conclusion. I’ve always found the notion slightly blasphemous: that the institution that works to prevent the possibility of a second Holocaust, and was founded because of the Jewish genocide, would also be committing such an unspeakable act. Evoking the name of the greatest tragedy in Jewish history to advance the belief that the IDF is committing injustices is incredibly perverse. Express all the valid critiques at your disposal, but do NOT use our Jewish ancestors’ suffering to further a point. It is completely inappropriate and tone deaf.
To add another layer of theory, I want to quickly discuss how the content of the interviews distracts from the fact that 24 troubled individuals still needed a platform to express their true feelings and agreed to go on the record for an unknown, ambiguous reason. To me, that’s problematic in itself. Perhaps, if there were a better space in Israel for people to speak freely about being in Tzahal without being “othered”, maybe these 24 individuals wouldn’t have turned in this direction. This wasn’t the focus of the film, but it raises complicated discussions and segues into my next thought. Moreover, there is little space in the Israeli and Jewish diaspora community to express objection to the IDF’s management of the conflict in Gaza, while still being accepted by the greater Zionist community.
I still love, and have always loved, my home country. And the issues that I have with the state of the war should not, and do not, minimize my commitment and loyalty to Israel. But tens of thousands of people have died, and while I take into account the significant combatant rate of that figure, this is something I’m just not comfortable with. We should be able to stand by Israel, and also recognize its flaws without our loyalties being questioned. Very few stark Zionists will acknowledge the innocents on the other side, and this is something I would like to see changed.
I want to encourage everyone to watch the film. I don’t expect any minds to be completely changed, or for some larger epiphany to occur. I’m asking you to take something away from it. We can recognize the film and the filmmakers’ flaws, and consider the IDF’s response, which directly disputes its content, while still acknowledging that the overarching theme is upsetting. No matter how small, try to have some empathy for what the people in Gaza are going through because the reality is not pretty.
