Yair Golan Sues Sara Netanyahu for NIS 2.5 Million Over Hamas Attack Claims

Yair Golan, head of the Democratic Party, has filed a NIS 2.5 million defamation lawsuit against Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Prime Minister, over remarks she made suggesting he had prior knowledge of the October 7th Hamas attack. The lawsuit was filed after Netanyahu refused to apologize or retract her statements, despite Golan sending her a legal warning a week prior demanding an apology and financial compensation.

The lawsuit states that Netanyahu's comments, given their content, context, and circumstances, could incite violence against Golan or justify such actions for her followers. It further alleges that Netanyahu implied Golan knew about the impending attack, suggesting he either failed to prevent it or was complicit in treason.

Golan claims Netanyahu's statements have endangered his life, leading to an increase in threats he has received since the interview. He intends to include these threats and details of his increased security measures in the lawsuit. Previously, Golan had given Netanyahu 24 hours to apologize and offer financial compensation, which he intended to donate to survivors of the Nova music festival attack.

The Likud party responded to Golan's initial warning by calling his actions a "masculine, violent, and thuggish display." During the Channel 14 interview, Netanyahu had stated to Golan, "You claim to be a fighter. On October 7th, you were there from early morning, dressed in your military uniform and ready, very early, when others did not know, including the Prime Minister."

Netanyahu's remarks raised questions about Golan's alleged prior knowledge of the October 7th events, which Golan denies, calling the accusations defamatory and dangerous. The lawsuit seeks NIS 2.5 million in damages, and the court will examine the validity of the mutual claims and whether the statements constitute legally compensable defamation.