Yair Golan Sues Sara Netanyahu for $700,000 Over Oct. 7 Conspiracy Claims

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democratic Party, has officially filed a defamation and damages lawsuit for 2,550,000 shekels (approximately $700,000 USD) against Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The lawsuit, submitted to the Central District Court in Lod, follows Netanyahu's refusal to apologize or retract statements made in a Channel 14 interview. In that interview, Netanyahu implied Golan had prior knowledge of the October 7th Hamas attacks.

The lawsuit asserts that these conspiracy theories, which it calls false and baseless, were maliciously concocted to incite against Golan and damage his good name. It highlights Golan's service and bravery, including his actions on October 7th when he traveled to the Gaza border region to assist and rescue civilians.

The legal filing reveals that following the Channel 14 interview, intelligence agencies issued concrete warnings about intentions to harm Golan. A report also indicated a 450% surge in incitement against him online. The escalating threats have necessitated a significant increase in his private security arrangements ahead of the upcoming elections.

Furthermore, the lawsuit claims a Netanyahu advisor reviewed the interview before its broadcast, suggesting premeditation to incite violence against Golan. Beyond defamation, the suit seeks unprecedented civil damages for violating the criminal provision against incitement to violence, citing Section 144 of the Penal Code. Golan is requesting double damages without proof of harm due to the alleged premeditation and malicious intent.

Golan stated, "Paranoia, it turns out, is a family business. Last week his wife fabricated tales of betrayal and today Netanyahu is weaving a secret conspiracy for me with Mohammed Dahlan and Shlomi Eldar. Netanyahu does not stop lying and covering up. As the political noose tightens around his neck, he becomes more dangerous. When he feels power slipping from his hands, there is no lie he will not tell, no red line he will not cross. This is a despicable and base attempt. This is the method: erase the facts, replace the guilty, distort reality and trample the truth to save himself. We are putting an end to this."

Attorney Giora Ardinest of EBN law firm added, "These are nonsensical and inciting words that spill Yair Golan's blood and put him in tangible danger that someone will understand the hint and take action. Yair Golan was not in the Gaza envelope early in the morning; he woke up to the sirens like all the people of Israel. He jumped into the fire, unlike others who did not do similar things. We will not allow such inciting words to pass without response, and whoever said them will pay the price."