Netanyahu proposes revoking citizenship for defaming Israeli soldiers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to advance two new bills aimed at revoking the citizenship of individuals who defame Israeli soldiers and significantly increasing defamation damages against them. The announcement, made in a social media video on Wednesday, September 17, 2026, comes in direct response to the documentary film "NAZA," which has sparked intense controversy within Israel. The film, directed by Israeli journalists Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival on September 13. It features interviews with 24 anonymized military and intelligence insiders who describe using AI-powered systems to identify targets in Gaza, often with knowledge that large numbers of civilians would be killed. The Israeli army has rejected the allegations made in the documentary. Netanyahu cited the NAZA film as one of three recent incidents that caused "enormous damage" to the reputation of the Israel Defense Forces. The other two were 2025 remarks by left-wing ex-general Yair Golan and a 2024 leaked video purported to show soldiers abusing a detainee.