A small group of demonstrators braved the Big Apple’s chilly nor’easter conditions Saturday to protest the North American premiere of a controversial documentary at the New York Film Festival about the Gaza War that has been denounced as anti-Israel.
Peaceful protesters clutching Israeli flags and signs gathered out the front of Lincoln Center in Columbus Circle as “NAZA” — a documentary that has been blasted by Israel supporters for using anonymous sources to make claims about the IDF’s actions against Palestinians — premiered in New York City.
“History cannot be altered,” Noa Peri-Jensch of the Israeli-American Council (IAC) told The Post. “There are parts of history that happened on October 7th that have been ignored in the film.”
“The movie is trying to portray the IDF or Israel as a group of people who are trying to make systematic killing, which couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Peri-Jensch demanded that “people who make documentaries need to do it in a responsible way.”
“We need to bring all voices. We need to show the truth, and not spread lies,” she said.
The film, made by Israeli film-makers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor in conjunction with The Guardian newspaper, makes claims that the Israeli military would have a code for how many civilians would die in airstrikes, NAZA, and quotes an anonymous source saying that killing Palestinians with AI was “insanely fun.”
It has been hailed by some around the world and got a 24-minute ovation at the Venice film festival, where it premiered. The Guardian admits that “the film features interviews with 24 members of Israeli intelligence and military, granted on the condition of anonymity,” a fact that has gotten it denounced as lies by members of the Israeli government.
Shalev Biton, 27, who survived the horrific attack at Nova Festival, agrees “NAZA” is misleading and divisive.
“I am here to show that this thing happened to both of the sides. I was affected,” Biton told The Post at the protest.
“I am not against any criticism on us as a state, as Israel, and against the idea from inside Israel or outside Israel. But there is a way to do it.”
Four trucks circled the area in protest to the documentary and screened actual footage of the slaughter that took place on Oct. 7, as well as material that contradict claims in “NAZA” and questions its sources, methods and production.
The trucks, organized by IAC, featured clips from “October 7: Bearing Witness to the Massacre,” a graphic compilation of raw footage from the harrowing attack in Israel — including videos filmed by Hamas during the massacre.
Biton got choked up as one of the trucks stopped in front of him showing footage of “people who I know” that “died in the Nova Festival.”
“It’s never easy to see the footage but in this context, people should see that,” Biton said.
Meanwhile, New York resident David Cohen, 55, issued a warning to the documentary makers.
“Show the film, no problem, but understand the circumstances,” Cohen said.
“It’s a horrible situation but what we stand for is important,” he said. “We’re supporting Israel.”
The Guardian and the filmmakers have stood by the documentary, saying the sources have all been vetted and that using their claims is no different any mainstream works of investigative journalism.
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