NEW YORK CITY — The Israeli-American Council organized a rally in front of Lincoln Center on September 27, 2026. LED screens mounted on trucks at the rally displayed footage from "October 7: Bearing Witness to the Massacre" and material contradicting claims in the film "NAZA."

"Films have editors. History does not. Our presence here is the message: We will not allow October 7 to be erased from the story," the IAC stated.

The rally included Nova festival survivors Rom El-Hai and Shelev Biton, and Younes Al-Garnaoui. Ofir Akunis, Consul General of Israel in New York, addressed the gathering regarding the film's content.

He said that the filmmakers were shameful individuals and emphasized that lies and blood libels would not be allowed to prevail, adding that Israel would not remain silent in the face of incitement against its soldiers and the state.

The film "NAZA" was screened as part of the New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall on September 26, 2026. The title NAZA is derived from an Israeli military acronym for collateral damage, defined in the film as a term used to indicate how many civilians are likely to die in each air strike. "NAZA" is directed by Yuval Abraham and Basel Adra, with co-directors Rachel Szor and Hamdan Ballal. The film presents testimonies from 24 soldiers and intelligence personnel regarding combat in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a law to revoke the citizenship of anyone who slanders IDF soldiers following the film’s debut. "NAZA" premiered at the Venice Film Festival and received a special jury prize.

Why It Matters

The rally and the film premiere reflect a divergence in narratives regarding the conflict. The IAC sought to ensure the memory of the October 7 attacks remains central, while the film presents accounts from military personnel about operations in Gaza. The response from Israeli officials, including calls for legislative action against those they view as slandering soldiers, reflects the political stakes surrounding the documentary's release.

The involvement of international bodies such as the International Documentary Association indicates the global attention the film has attracted. The debate extends beyond artistic expression into legal and diplomatic realms, with proposals to revoke citizenship for critics and demands for protection for the filmmakers. This dynamic reflects broader tensions in how the war and its preceding events are documented and interpreted publicly.

Timeline

On September 27, 2026, the IAC's rally took place outside Lincoln Center in Manhattan as "NAZA" had its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival. The IAC stated, "Films have editors. History does not. Our presence here is the message: We will not allow October 7 to be erased from the story." Ofir Akunis, Consul General of Israel in New York, stated, "We will not let lies and blood libels prevail. The filmmakers are shameful individuals. We will not stand by and pass over their incitement against our heroic soldiers and the State of Israel in silence!"

What's New

Additional reporting includes statements from Yuval Abraham, who said it was completely unjustified, the massacre of October 7th, but that it also could not justify what had been seen, questioning whether it justified the slaughter of so many civilians in Gaza. He also stated during a Q&A that it was important to see the film at that moment because older officials were discussing what was being done with taxpayer money from people sitting there, noting that this was what their country was supporting and funding, and that part of the goal was to make denial of what was going on in Gaza harder. The IAC's rally took place outside Lincoln Center in Manhattan on September 27, 2026, as "NAZA" had its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival.

The IAC stated that their goal was to counter the narrative presented by "NAZA" with documentation of the events of October 7, ensuring that the massacre is not forgotten. The Israeli-American Council (IAC) used four black trucks equipped with LED screens to display footage from October 7: Bearing Witness to the Massacre during the rally. Research titled "In ‘NAZA,’ Israeli whistleblowers’ revelations about civilian deaths in Gaza reflect a longer history of Palestinian isolation" was published in 2026. Research titled "The Arab–Israeli conflict in the Security Council" was published in 2012 in The UN and the Arab-Israeli Conflict.