Haaretz Rejects Netanyahu's Defamation Threat Over Hamas Warning Report

The Haaretz newspaper group has officially responded to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's denial of a report claiming he received an early warning from the UAE president about a planned Hamas attack before October 7. In a statement released Thursday, Haaretz declared, "We will not be deterred by the Prime Minister's attempt to silence journalistic criticism, nor will we be deterred from revealing the truth, even in court."

Haaretz sent a response letter to Netanyahu's lawyer, rejecting his threat of a lawsuit against the newspaper and its journalists, Shlomi Eldar and Ruti Yuval. The newspaper asserted that its report, detailing a warning from UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about a major operation planned by Sinwar ten days before October 7, was the result of "in-depth journalistic investigation based on sources on a matter of utmost public importance." The paper added that questions surrounding the warnings preceding the October 7 massacre and the response to them have been central to public discourse for approximately three years.

The lawyers representing Haaretz, Tal Lieblich and Netai Tzuriel, stated, "In the absence of a full accounting to the public from your client, the press fulfills its role and reveals information to the public bit by bit. My clients will not be deterred from revealing the truth, even in court."

Haaretz concluded that Netanyahu's "preposterous demands for the removal of the article, an apology, and compensation of one million shekels 'for settlement purposes' while threatening a lawsuit for more than 2.5 million shekels, indicate the nature of your client's approach, whose sole purpose is to silence journalistic criticism."