Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he intends to strip the citizenship of Israelis who criticize the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), according to infohub.kz.
According to him, two bills will be brought up for consideration in the near future. The first would allow citizenship to be revoked for criticizing the Israel Defense Forces, while the second would increase the amount that can be awarded in a lawsuit against those accused of defamation.
The statement came after the film NAZA by Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor received a special jury prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. In the film, the authors address the large-scale attack on Israel by the Palestinian radical movement Hamas on October 7, 2023. The film's title comes from a Hebrew term meaning collateral damage — incidental civilian casualties.
Netanyahu directly mentioned Abraham and Szor, threatening to strip them of their citizenship. "They do not belong here," the prime minister said.
He also ordered that criminal prosecution be launched as soon as possible for discrediting Israeli military personnel and the State of Israel abroad.