The Israeli American Council (IAC) has rallied pro-Israel activists to movie theaters across the United States to protest the screening of the documentary NAZA this past week.
The documentary NAZA, produced in collaboration with The Guardian and co-directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, features anonymous interviews with military and intelligence personnel discussing the Israeli military’s use of artificial intelligence tools and targeting practices in Gaza. The film takes its title from a Hebrew military acronym for anticipated civilian casualties, or collateral damage, and won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. It has ignited fierce controversy, with critics sharply criticizing the documentary, arguing that it relies on unverified anonymous claims, promotes a distorted and biased narrative against the Israel Defense Forces, and ignores the operational realities of fighting Hamas in dense urban environments.
In response to the documentary, a group of Israeli filmmakers including Roi Danino, Ariel Averbuch, and Hagay Gutman produced a counter-documentary titled ‘NAZA: The Real Story’ to challenge the film’s allegations through interviews with IDF combatants and commanders.
Activists gathered outside the Laemmle NoHo 7 theater in North Hollywood on Friday for a protest organized by the IAC as the documentary ‘NAZA’ screened inside.
“Our message is clear: wherever lies are told about Israel, we will show up with the truth,” said Aya Shechter, the council’s chief operating officer and one of the rally’s leaders.
Israeli American Council (IAC) trucks display messages challenging the documentary NAZA near Lincoln Center in New York City during protests against the film’s screening. (credit: ISRAELI-AMERICAN COUNCIL (IAC))
“Everyone who came out today is saying, loudly and clearly, that we stand with Israel. Especially around October 7, we do not forget those who were murdered and those who fell, and we are standing here also for those who can no longer stand here to shout the truth themselves,” Shechter said.
During the protest, activists voiced opposition to what they described as the “film’s numerous factual problems and its distorted narrative” to attendees arriving for the screening.
Protesters draped themselves in Israeli and US flags outside the venue, displaying placards bearing slogans such as “Learn the Facts. Know the Truth,” and “Movies Have Editors. History Does Not.” They also carried images documenting the October 7 attack and posters calling for the return of hostages still being honored by the community.
Pro-Israel protests spread to Massachusetts, California
IAC joined local Jewish community members in Newton, Massachusetts, in organizing an all-day demonstration outside a local screening of the film on Saturday.
Protesters held signs with the message “Believe Israeli Women” alongside the hashtag “#METOO_UNLESS_UR_A_JEW.” Others held signs bearing photos of individuals abducted during the October 7 attacks, including former hostages Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, Liri Albag, Agam Berger, and Naama Levy.
Another protester held a sign displaying historical imagery above the headline “MASSACRE OF IRAQI JEWS JUNE 1-2 1941” and the call to “REMEMBER THE FARHUD,” referencing the 1941 anti-Jewish pogrom in Baghdad.
IAC also led approximately 30 activists to assemble outside the Smith Rafael Film Center in the San Francisco Bay Area to protest an evening screening of NAZA last Tuesday as part of the Mill Valley Film Festival.
Participants distributed QR codes that directed people to “NAZA: The Real Story.” Mobile billboards mounted on two trucks circled the block for two hours, displaying photos and footage of civilian casualties from the October 7 attacks.
IAC demands additional context at ‘NAZA’ screenings
Alongside the protest, IAC launched a petition calling on “cultural institutions, film festivals and movie theaters across the United States to accompany screenings of ‘NAZA’ with panels, survivor testimony, and background and context materials.”
In recent weeks, IAC, alongside groups such as East End Jews for Israel, the Jewish Center of the Hamptons, and End Jew Hatred, organized protests at earlier screenings, including the film’s North American premiere at Lincoln Center in New York and during the Hamptons International Film Festival.
Israeli filmmakers bring ‘NAZA: The Real Story’ to New York
As part of this ongoing response, IAC is hosting the first US screening of “NAZA: The Real Story” on the Upper East Side of Manhattan on Monday. The event features firsthand testimony from IDF reservists and raw footage documenting how Hamas operates within civilian areas. After the screening, co-creators Roi Danino and Ariel Averbuch are slated to join a panel discussion, live-interviewed by influencer Lizzy Savetsky.
IAC emphasized that these protests and counter-screenings are not intended to prevent the film from being shown, but to ensure audiences also hear a fact-based account of October 7 and its aftermath.