How ‘NAZA’ and Avi Nesher’s ‘Our Loves’ May Have Swayed Israel’s Electorate Against Netanyahu

Israel’s Change bloc appeared to edge out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc in Tuesday’s election, and two films may have helped shape voters’ views. Avi Nesher’s popular drama *Our Loves* depicts the security failures around the 7 October attacks, while the documentary *NAZA* has fuelled debate about the government’s conduct of the Gaza war.

The early count gave the Change bloc a 52–50 lead in the 120-seat Knesset, with 61 seats needed for a majority; about 50,000 votes correspond to one seat. *Our Loves*, released two weeks before the election, drew 150,000 admissions. *NAZA*, which was not released in Israel, was widely discussed in the Israeli press, and the government’s threat to strip its filmmakers of citizenship may have reinforced criticism that it rejects scrutiny. The article cautions that the films’ influence on a close, complex election cannot be measured precisely.