Channel 12 was accused of spreading a false and inflammatory story about the funeral of Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simchon, claiming that ministers and Knesset members stayed away because they were attending a wedding. The report created the impression that officials had shown indifference toward the bereaved family and the fallen soldier.
Soon afterward, the facts emerged differently. The wedding in question had taken place before the fatal incident, which happened on the night between Thursday and Friday, around 12:30 a.m. In addition, the funeral notice was sent only the next day.
According to the account cited in the article, both Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli and Minister Ofir Sofer had offered to attend the funeral as government representatives, but the family asked that no government delegation come, and that request was fully respected. The article says ministers who wanted to pay their respects complied with the family’s wishes.
After the story was exposed as inaccurate, the misleading posts disappeared quietly from Channel 12’s social media accounts. No prominent correction or public apology was issued, and the article says Channel 12 reporter Michal Pelegan still had not removed the false claim from her own accounts. Chikli responded sharply, saying, “This is not journalism, this is outright incitement,” and described it as directed against IDF fallen soldiers and bereaved families.
