Bennett and TOV reach surprise settlement in libel case

After a year of a highly publicized legal battle, the libel suit filed by Yair Bennett, head of the Yachad party, against TOV Channel was settled on Tuesday in court. The agreement was given the force of a court judgment and ends Bennett’s 250,000-shekel claim over what he said were false reports published by the channel.

At the center of the dispute were claims that 50 million shekels had been spent on a protected room at the home of the former prime minister. Bennett denied the allegation and called it false. As part of the settlement, TOV Channel and Adam Atiyas withdrew the claim. The two sides also agreed to donate 10,000 shekels each to an association in memory of Lt. Col. Emmanuel Moreno, for the promotion of Jewish identity.

The settlement did not end the war of words. TOV said in response, “Bennett caved, did not get an apology, and paid. According to the wording agreed in court, Tov will not apologize for the publication.” Bennett’s original lawsuit argued that the media must meet strict journalistic standards and said that “wealthy actors are taking over media outlets to increase influence.”

The case comes amid a broader wave of defamation suits by public figures. The article cites a recent loss for Omer Nahmani, after the Haifa District Court upheld a 145,000-shekel award in a case brought by journalist Amit Segal, and a settlement between Eli Tzipori and Channel 12, in which Tzipori agreed to stop using the nickname “Al-Jazeera 12.” The settlement also arrives as Bennett campaigns under difficult political conditions, with Yachad slipping in the polls and internal tensions rising.