Yair Golan Sues Sara Netanyahu for Defamation Over Hamas Attack Remarks

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democratic Party, has filed a NIS 2.55 million defamation lawsuit against Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The suit stems from comments Netanyahu made in a Channel 14 interview regarding Golan's actions on the morning of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

In the interview, Netanyahu responded to footage of Golan at a protest outside a Tel Aviv hair salon where she was present. She questioned Golan's claim of being a fighter on October 7, suggesting he was "dressed and ready" very early, implying he had prior knowledge of the Hamas assault before the Prime Minister. She criticized him for confronting her, a woman, in a small salon, calling his actions "small and low."

Golan's lawsuit, filed with the Central District Court in Lod, alleges that Netanyahu's remarks implied he had advance knowledge of the Hamas attack and failed to act on it, suggesting he might have been complicit in treason. His lawyers argue that these claims, intended to cast doubt on his heroism and portray him as a traitor, were malicious and designed to incite violence against him. They also claim Netanyahu sought to divert attention from her husband's responsibility for the October 7 failures.

The lawsuit details Golan's account of October 7, stating he drove to the Gaza vicinity after hearing alarms and helped rescue six survivors from the Nova music festival. His legal team asserts that intelligence warnings of threats against Golan emerged after the interview, with online incitement against him spiking by 450%, necessitating enhanced personal security for the upcoming elections. They also point to an alleged review of the interview by a Prime Minister's advisor before broadcast as evidence of premeditation.

Beyond defamation, Golan is suing for breach of statutory duty, citing a section of the penal code concerning incitement to violence, arguing his personal safety was endangered. He is seeking double damages due to alleged malicious intent and premeditation. Golan stated the lawsuit represents a "civil indictment of an entire camp against a government that has lost all restraint," accusing the Netanyahu family of attempting to "rewrite history and turn those who rushed into the inferno to save lives into traitors."