Minister Condemns Film as ‘Vile’

In an X post on Sunday, Zohar called the documentary “vile” and its win at the film festival “shocking.” He accused the filmmakers of harming the country “just to get applause from antisemites around the world.”

The minister said that Abraham and Szor’s actions “constitute treason against the state.” “As culture minister, I will act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of these despicable creators for treason against the state,” he wrote.

Documentary Details AI-Powered Killings

The 80-minute film documented Israel’s use of AI-powered systems to commit “calculated mass killings” of Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Venice Film Festival’s official synopsis. The documentary received a 25-minute standing ovation at its premiere during the film festival.

The film features testimonies from Israeli military and intelligence personnel who spoke on the condition of anonymity — Interviewees described an AI system called “Lavender”, used to monitor telecommunications between Palestinians in Gaza and determine targeted killings.

Filmmaker Seeks Economic Sanctions

Abraham said he hoped his documentary would push Western governments to apply economic sanctions on Israel.

The move has sparked controversy, with many questioning whether the government should use citizenship as a tool to punish individuals for their artistic expression, Critics argue that revoking citizenship could set a dangerous precedent for freedom of speech and creative expression in the country.

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