Commentator Guy Peleg Ordered to Pay Large Sum for Defamation

A court in Rishon LeZion has ruled that prominent commentator Guy Peleg must pay significant financial compensation and legal costs to political activist Rahamim Ben Yehuda. The ruling stems from a radio broadcast in December 2022 on 103FM, where Peleg referred to Ben Yehuda as a "criminal" and suggested he was threatening the son of a key prosecutor in the Netanyahu trial. Judge Shlomi Schneider determined that Peleg had crossed the line of permissible journalistic criticism, stating that a reasonable listener would interpret such a statement from a well-known legal and crime reporter as a factual assertion of a criminal conviction.

Peleg's defense argued that the term "criminal" was used informally to describe threatening behavior, not to imply a formal conviction. However, the judge rejected this, emphasizing that Peleg's professional standing lent his words significant weight and credibility. The court also noted that subsequent convictions of Ben Yehuda in 2025 for assault could not retroactively justify Peleg's earlier statements, as the truth of a publication is judged based on the reality at the time it was made.

The court further dismissed Peleg's defense of good faith, citing his failure to seek a response from Ben Yehuda before the broadcast. This omission, the judge ruled, undermined the claim of good faith.

In determining the compensation amount, the judge considered mitigating factors, including Ben Yehuda's public image, critical publications against Peleg, the clarification Peleg issued after the broadcast, and the fact that criminal proceedings were already underway against Ben Yehuda at the time of the broadcast. Ultimately, Peleg was ordered to pay 18,000 shekels in damages and 11,000 shekels in legal expenses, totaling 29,000 shekels. The court declined to order a formal apology due to the passage of time and the parties' subsequent conduct.

The ruling highlights the delicate balance between freedom of the press and protecting an individual's reputation, underscoring the heightened responsibility of journalists, particularly when attributing criminal acts.