Netanyahu Proposes Stripping “Israeli” Citizenship from IOF Critics

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has proposed revoking the citizenship of people convicted of defaming the military, as the "Israeli" occupation forces [IOF] faces renewed accusations over its conduct in Gaza.

In a video address on Wednesday, Netanyahu attacked the documentary NAZA, which reported that the IOF and intelligence services used AI-assisted systems to select targets and accepted potential civilian deaths as collateral damage.

The film, directed by Oscar-winning “Israeli” filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 10 and won the Special Jury Prize.

Netanyahu said he would introduce two bills targeting what he described as those causing “immense damage” to the IOF: one to revoke the citizenship of people who defame “Israeli” forces and another to increase statutory damages for defamation lawsuits twentyfold.

He cited left-wing Democrats leader and former IOF deputy chief of staff Yair Golan, who said last year that “Israeli” troops “kill babies as a hobby.”

Netanyahu also referred to Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who was removed as the IOF’s chief military advocate after acknowledging that she authorized the leak of a video showing the abuse of a Palestinian detainee.

The NAZA filmmakers defended their investigation, saying it was based on interviews with “Israeli” service members. Abraham said it was important for “Israelis” to recognize what their entity had done in Gaza.

Meanwhile, several countries, the UN and human rights organizations have accused “Israel” of indiscriminately killing civilians. Nearly 74,000 people have been martyred in Gaza since the war began in October 2023 following Hamas’s surprise operation against “Israel.”

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former War Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity, while the International Court of Justice is considering a genocide case concerning “Israel’s” conduct in Gaza.

“Israel” rejects the accusations, describing civilian killings as isolated violations of IOF protocols and accusing Hamas of using civilians as human shields.

“Israeli” officials have also accused UN agencies of assisting Hamas and argued that some people counted among civilian casualties were fighters.