Look away. That has been the prevailing defense mechanism for a significant portion of the Israeli public since late 2023. When you refuse to look at the destruction, you don't have to reckon with it. The documentary NAZA—titled after the Hebrew acronym for "collateral damage" and directed by Yuval Avraham and Rachel Szor—hits a nerve precisely because it shatters that carefully constructed wall of willful blindness. Yet, senior officials, local journalists, and right-wing activists have made a public oath to do one thing: never watch the film.
Why are powerful institutions and media figures so terrified of a movie? The answer exposes deep psychological fractures within Israeli society regarding accountability, denial, and international scrutiny. If you enjoyed this post, you should read: this related article.
The Anatomy of Willful Ignorance
When NAZA premiered at the Venice Film Festival and earned a 25-minute standing ovation alongside a special jury prize, the backlash back home was swift and predictable. Politicians threatened punitive measures against the co-directors, ranging from vague legal actions to stripping citizenship. But the most revealing aspect of the controversy wasn't the political posturing. It was the proud admission by critics that they hadn't viewed a single minute of the project.
This reaction mirrors the broader social dynamic that took root early in the conflict. When horrifying images and statistics of civilian casualties started pouring out of Gaza, many Israelis openly declared that they had closed their hearts. Sympathy evaporated under the weight of national trauma. Activists on the left once believed that showing the raw reality of the devastation to the domestic audience would spark massive protests to halt the fighting. They were wrong. Instead, exposure was treated as an attack on collective resilience. For another perspective on this story, see the recent update from TIME.
When Mainstream Journalists Turn Away
It is not just right-wing politicians or nationalist groups trying to suppress uncomfortable truths. Even prominent independent journalists within Israel's liberal circles have distanced themselves from NAZA.
Take Raviv Drucker, one of the country's leading investigative reporters. When questioned about why mainstream outlets ignored the specific military procedures and killing methods highlighted in the film, Drucker admitted it was difficult to cover. However, he quickly pivoted to criticism, stating he wouldn't have aired the project due to concerns over journalistic standards, pointing to its reliance on anonymous testimonies.
Other left-leaning commentators took an even harsher stance, labeling the creators as "useful idiots" who play into the hands of international critics and external powers like Qatar. The narrative pushed by these journalists is simple. They argue that exposing systemic flaws through such a medium hands ammunition to Israel's enemies, effectively turning domestic whistleblowers into traitors.
Shifting the Blame to International Bias
The defense mechanism goes beyond rejecting local filmmakers. Whenever international bodies or festivals shine a light on the human cost in Gaza, the response from the Israeli establishment is dismissive. Critics claim that global institutions are inherently biased, weaponizing terms like human rights to isolate the nation.
Even the accolades received abroad are minimized. When Avraham and Szor walked away from Venice with high praise, local commentators framed the award as a minor, manufactured gesture designed solely to paint Israel in a negative light. By discrediting the messengers, critics protect themselves from processing the message. If every critical voice is labeled as hostile propaganda, there is no need to examine the validity of the evidence presented.
The Cost of Looking Away
Denying reality doesn't make it disappear. It merely insulates a society from accountability while military and legal systems fail to thoroughly investigate allegations of war crimes. When internal mechanisms of justice are heavily compromised or politicized, independent documentaries remain one of the few mirrors available.
By refusing to watch NAZA, critics aren't just boycotting a film. They are actively choosing a comforting fiction over a brutal reality. They are deciding that the preservation of national narrative matters more than confronting uncomfortable facts on the ground.
Stop pretending that ignorance is a form of patriotism. Face the uncomfortable footage, read the reports without filters, and demand genuine transparency from the institutions holding power.
