The Israel Basketball Association has sent Hapoel Tel Aviv owner Ofer Yannay a formal pre-lawsuit warning over a video he published, saying he must apologize within 48 hours or face legal action. The association, through attorney Yodan Koritzky, accuses Yannay of defamation and of spreading “false and defamatory statements” about its institutions and officials.
The dispute stems from a video posted on June 17, one day after the first final in the playoff series between Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv. In the letter, the association quoted Yannay’s remarks, in which he claimed the basketball establishment had decided on a replay despite Jerusalem not returning to play, and said a disciplinary prosecutor had chosen to prosecute an elderly fan rather than the players who attacked him. The association rejects those claims outright and says they are completely false.
In the warning letter, Koritzky wrote that, contrary to Yannay’s assertions, the association’s disciplinary prosecutor did not charge the fan and had no authority to do so. He said Yannay’s comments were “a blatant slander and a complete lie,” and added that Yannay would not be able to rely on defenses such as truth or good faith under Israel’s defamation law. The association also said the remarks were allegedly made “with intent to harm.”
The association demanded three steps within 48 hours, remove the video and any similar posts from all platforms, publish a public apology in the same channels and in a version approved in advance by the association, and stop any future publication that could damage the reputation of its institutions and employees. If Yannay does not comply, the association says it reserves the right to file a civil suit for damages under the Defamation Law and pursue disciplinary proceedings. No response from Yannay was available at the time of publication.
