Channel 14 Host Yinnon Magal Fined for Defaming News Anchor Guy Peleg

A Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court has ordered Channel 14 host Yinnon Magal to pay 7,500 shekels in damages to Channel 12 journalist Guy Peleg for defamation. The ruling came after Peleg sued Magal for comments made on air, in which Magal questioned Peleg's military service, claiming he "didn't do any army service at all, was released after two days."

Presiding Judge Roee Shahar found that Magal's statements were not protected by good faith. Peleg had completed full mandatory military service and served an additional 16 years in the reserves. The judge stated that Magal's words were untrue and that he made no effort to verify their accuracy before publishing them, indicating bad faith. The court concluded that Magal's intention was to personally harm Peleg and portray him as a draft dodger.

Magal later addressed the issue on his program after receiving a warning letter from Peleg, stating, "Peleg, I said he did a few months of military service, according to what he claims he did full service. He volunteered and did full service. I checked... that's what it is... so here I corrected in passing regarding lawsuits and all sorts."

The judge rejected the defense's argument that the statements were merely an opinion, noting that Magal's subsequent correction demonstrated an awareness of the factual inaccuracy. The court emphasized that even in a panel discussion format, hosts must balance freedom of speech with protecting reputations when presenting factual information.

However, Peleg's lawsuit against Channel 14 was dismissed. The judge ruled that the network could not be held liable because Magal's remarks were made during a live broadcast, and the channel had no prior opportunity to monitor or prevent them. The final compensation amount was reduced from the initially sought 160,000 shekels, taking into account Magal's partial correction.