Netanyahu Calls for Identification and Prosecution of Interviewees in "Naza"

The Israeli prime minister called for criminal investigations into soldiers and officers who were interviewed in an investigative documentary produced by The Guardian.

Israel's prime minister has called for a criminal investigation into soldiers and officers interviewed in an investigative documentary produced by The Guardian.

Ambassador Arjan: Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the Zionist regime, has ordered the country's attorney general and the head of the Shin Bet internal security organization to reveal the identities of the soldiers and officers who were interviewed in the investigative documentary "Naza" and to prosecute them for causing "damage to Israel's diplomatic and security interests".

Directed by Oscar-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Zor, and produced by The Guardian, this acclaimed documentary chronicles Israel's mass killing of civilians in Gaza. This movie has been released in cinemas in UK, USA and other countries and it is going to be shown in more than 50 countries.

According to the Guardian, the Prime Minister of Israel in a letter addressed to Attorney General Gali Baharaumiara, Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army Eyal Zamir, and Shin Bet Chairman David Zini, asked them to "immediately take action to discover the identity of all the people who participate in or appear in this defamatory film."

Netanyahu also called for "the initiation of criminal investigations and prosecutions on charges of serious violations in the field of information security, criminal defamation and damage to Israel's diplomatic and security interests."

"Naza" was screened at the Venice International Film Festival last month and received the special prize of the jury. The film also received the longest standing ovation in the history of the event. The name of the film is derived from a term used by the Israeli intelligence service to refer to the number of civilians expected to be killed in an airstrike.

The Israeli government has launched strong attacks against Avraham and Zor, threatening to deprive them of their Israeli citizenship and accusing them of treason. Government supporters have promised to harass and harass the filmmakers once they return to Israel. Also, a group gathered in front of Zor's parents' house in Savyon city and chanted "Death sentence for traitors".

Zamir condemned this film as an "attack on the Israeli government" and accused it of spreading "bloody lies and slanders". He had previously ordered the military and legal authorities to identify the soldiers in the film and investigate the possibility of legal prosecution. However, Military Prosecutor General Itay Ofir said that criminal prosecution would require evidence of breach of security regulations or disclosure of classified information; However, there is still the possibility of applying disciplinary punishments.

Protecting journalists' sources is one of the pillars of press freedom based on international human rights standards, and issuing an order to disclose sources is only allowed under very strict conditions.

Ricardo Gutiérrez, Secretary General of the European Federation of Journalists, which represents more than 320,000 journalists, said: "These threats are a clear attempt to intimidate journalists who are simply doing their professional duty, with strict adherence to ethical standards and in the public interest. I am not surprised by this sharp reaction; A reaction that confirms that this government is willing to do anything to cover up its crimes against humanity and the ongoing genocide in Gaza."

The spokesperson of the Guardian newspaper said: "The Israeli government first threatened to revoke the Israeli citizenship of the managers of Naza, and now it has demanded an investigation into their journalistic sources. These actions are all an attempt to divert attention from the immediate questions that the film raises about the mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. "Journalists should be able to pursue public interest investigations without threats or harassment."

The film "Barren" is based on the revelations that were first published between 2023 and 2025 in the Israeli-Palestinian magazine "972 Magazine", the Hebrew-language media "Local Call" and the Guardian newspaper. Earlier this month, a Guardian spokesperson said: "The process of assessing the credibility of the testimonies was carried out carefully and rigorously. This process involved reviewing declassified documents, carefully verifying specific attacks and cross-verifying information through a wider array of confidential journalistic sources who did not appear on camera."

A Guardian spokesman added that the film's crew had interviewed "more than 100 sources familiar with the Israeli military's systems used in the Gaza war, including senior commanders directly involved in approving the attacks" over the past three years.

In recent days, the Israeli government has promoted a movie project online that imitates the "barren" style; An attempt to challenge the findings of the original film. Ariel Averbuch, an Israeli lawyer and army reservist who made the film "Barren: The True Story," described the move as an "insulting" move aimed at diverting the world's attention from allegations of civilian killings by the Israeli military.

Prominent figures in the film industry around the world, including the directors of the Locarno Film Festival, have expressed their solidarity with Abraham and Zor, saying they "strongly support the right of filmmakers to address difficult and urgent issues without fear of reprisals."