Retired General Israel Ziv Wins Defamation Case Over Oct. 7 Foreknowledge Claims

A Magistrate's Court in Kfar Saba ruled on Thursday that Ida Shifuni must pay approximately NIS 180,000 to retired Major General Yisrael Ziv. The ruling came after Shifuni published statements accusing Ziv, along with retired Major Generals Yair Golan and Noam Tibon, of having prior knowledge of the October 7th Hamas attacks.

In the publication that formed the basis of the lawsuit, Shifuni questioned Ziv's presence and preparedness on the morning of October 7th, asking how Ziv, Tibon, and Golan, whom he described as having sworn to overthrow the government, were ready to confront photographers while soldiers were being killed. Shifuni implied they knew something the soldiers did not.

Judge Ronen Peleg rejected any alternative interpretations of Shifuni's words, stating that a reasonable person would clearly understand the intent. The judge elaborated that a reasonable reader would understand the publication to mean that Ziv and his fellow retired generals, alongside an unnamed spy, knew in advance about the planned massacre and deliberately went to the Gaza border region on October 7th to be photographed and gain publicity.

The court found that the publication implied Ziv had betrayed his country and people, and that his presence in the area was not to fight but for self-promotion. The judge also noted the bravery of security forces on October 7th and the following days, who fought together regardless of political views, with many losing their lives.

As a result of these findings, the court ordered Shifuni to pay Ziv around NIS 180,000 in damages.