In solidarity with Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor
By Nikos Mottas
The despicable threats against Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor expose the increasingly authoritarian character of Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government. Their award-winning documentary NAZA, based on testimonies from Israeli military and intelligence personnel, investigates the conduct of the Israeli army in Gaza. Rather than confront its revelations, the government has chosen to intimidate those who brought them to light.
Culture Minister Miki Zohar has demanded that the directors be stripped of their Israeli citizenship, accusing them of treason. Netanyahu has announced plans for legislation targeting those accused of defaming Israeli soldiers, while far-right activists have threatened and intimidated the filmmakers and their families.
The message is clear: anyone who challenges the official narrative risks being branded an enemy of the state. Freedom of expression becomes a privilege reserved for those who remain silent about the actions of those in power.
This attack is not an isolated incident. It comes amid renewed attempts to exclude the communist-led Hadash and other Arab political forces from the forthcoming elections, including efforts to disqualify Hadash parliamentarian Ofer Cassif. The ruling Likud party has also supported attempts to exclude Arab political representation from the electoral process.
These developments reveal a broader attack on democratic rights in Israel. The same political establishment that threatens filmmakers for exposing military conduct is seeking to restrict the participation of communist and Arab opposition forces in political life. The objective is to narrow the space for dissent and place criticism of the state beyond the limits of acceptable political activity.
The defense of freedom of expression and political rights cannot stop where criticism of the government begins. Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor must be protected against threats and intimidation, their documentary must be freely accessible, and those who provided testimony must be protected from retaliation. The same applies to the right of Hadash and other opposition forces to organize and participate in elections without political persecution.
Israel’s claim to be “the only democracy in the Middle East” rings increasingly hollow when its government threatens filmmakers with the loss of their citizenship for exposing uncomfortable truths, while efforts are made to exclude communist and Arab opposition forces from political life. A democracy that tolerates criticism only when it does not challenge those in power is a democracy in name alone.
* Nikos Mottas is the Editor-in-Chief of In Defense of Communism.
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