Tel Aviv Court Orders Journalist Levinson to Pay Channel 14 for Defamation Over Fake News Tweet

The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court ruled in favor of Channel 14 in a defamation lawsuit against journalist Haim Levinson, ordering him to pay a total of 30,000 shekels. The ruling was delivered by Judge Aryeh Biton following a 2021 lawsuit filed by Channel 14's operating company, Israeli Jewish Channel Ltd. Levinson was found liable for posting a satirical tweet on June 22, 2021, that falsely appeared to be an official announcement from Channel 20 (now Channel 14). The tweet claimed that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would speak live at Ben Gurion Airport about the Indian COVID-19 variant, shortly after Naftali Bennett replaced Netanyahu as prime minister.

Levinson's tweet included Channel 20's authentic logo and was presented without any clear indication that it was satire, which the court said could mislead the public into believing it was a genuine Channel 14 broadcast. While Levinson argued that the tweet was political satire and legitimate criticism, the court ruled that the use of the channel's logo and the realistic format crossed the line into misleading the public and damaging the channel's reputation for credibility and professionalism.

The court distinguished between protected harsh criticism and the creation of a false impression that the channel had published inaccurate information. It rejected Levinson's defenses of truth and good faith, emphasizing that the channel never issued the statement attributed to it. Levinson was ordered to pay 10,000 shekels in compensation without proof of damage and 20,000 shekels for legal expenses, to be paid within 30 days. The judgment noted the political context and the single-instance nature of the publication but highlighted its potential harm to the channel's reputation. Levinson retains the right to appeal to the District Court.