Channel 14 Ordered to Pay $6,800 in Defamation Case

A Tel Aviv District Court has ruled that Channel 14 must pay $6,800 in compensation and legal costs to attorney and activist Barak Cohen. The ruling stems from a 2020 broadcast on "HaPatriotim," then aired on Channel 20 and now known as Channel 14, where journalist Yehuda Schlesinger called Cohen "anti-Israel" and "an antisemite."

The court found these epithets to constitute defamation. The segment, which discussed antisemitism on social media, featured Schlesinger stating, "This is a person who hates Israel, an antisemite, everything our children should not learn to be." The clip was later shared on the channel's Facebook and Twitter pages under the title "Yehuda Schlesinger Opens Up About Barak Cohen."

Cohen had sued Schlesinger and the channel's operating company for $41,000. The case against Schlesinger concluded in June 2024 with a settlement, and the current judgment addresses the channel's liability. Judge Edna Yosef-Kozin determined that while the initial broadcast might be protected by good faith, as the program's producers could not have known Schlesinger's intent or prevented his remarks, the subsequent social media posting was a deliberate act and not covered by the same defense.

The court rejected the argument that the remarks were protected opinion, noting they were not supported by a video of Cohen confronting Sheldon Adelson and were unnecessary for criticizing Cohen's behavior. However, the ruling did acknowledge that Cohen's own statements towards Adelson were "harsh, contemptuous, and insulting," and that his curses and calls for Adelson's death were inappropriate.

In determining the compensation amount, the court considered the severity of the remarks, the reach of the publications, and the channel's lack of apology. It also factored in Cohen's past use of harsh language towards his opponents. Channel 14 was ordered to pay Cohen $5,500 in damages and $1,300 in legal costs within 30 days. Channel 14 did not provide a comment by the time of publication.