Former Bar Association Head Efi Naveh Sues Billionaire Over Defamatory Billboards

Former Israel Bar Association chairman Efi Naveh has filed a NIS 10 million lawsuit against billionaire Alex Sklar, alleging a systematic and obsessive smear campaign against him. Naveh claims Sklar used his considerable financial resources to plaster billboards and buses across Israel with defamatory messages and insults, such as "traitor" and "forger."

The lawsuit also names strategic consultant Ronen Tzur, advertising companies Canaan Media, Norstar Media, and Deal Tov Advertising 2005, as well as bus companies Egged and Extra Public Transportation. Naveh asserts that the advertisements were not isolated incidents but widespread, exposing him to public view with degrading labels.

Naveh contends that he has no business or personal ties to Sklar and was unaware of the oligarch's identity for most of his life. He believes he became a target solely because he is the brother of Zvika Naveh, whose private intelligence and investigations firm provided services to Sklar's ex-wife during their divorce proceedings. Adding to the complexity, Zvika Naveh later married Sklar's ex-wife.

The lawsuit specifically addresses campaign materials that questioned Naveh's political aspirations, accusing him of betraying the Likud party and fabricating support from the party's branch in Hadera and a Mr. Itzik Yitzhaki during his run in the party's primaries for the 26th Knesset. Naveh vehemently denies these claims, stating his support was genuine.

Naveh alleges that Sklar has a history of employing aggressive public campaigns, even admitting to using similar tactics in Russia. He claims Sklar imported this "despicable method" to Israel, initially targeting Zvika Naveh, his lawyer Navot Tel Tzur, and a junior employee before turning his attention to Efi Naveh. The lawsuit details how advertising companies allegedly facilitated the spread of these defamatory statements for financial gain, with Naveh seeking personal responsibility from company executives.

Sklar's defense team dismissed the lawsuit as a "clear, vexatious, and baseless silencing lawsuit" intended to intimidate and prevent legitimate public criticism. They accused Naveh of shifting his narrative, pointing to a past campaign video where he blamed "the left" for a smear campaign, contrasting it with his current claims against Sklar. The defense maintains that the bus advertisements were necessary public criticism during Naveh's bid for voter trust and that Naveh is directly involved in his brother's affairs, which they describe as a "difficult campaign of pressure and personal persecution" against Sklar and his family. They assert that Naveh, whose name has been linked to "embarrassing affairs and clear lack of integrity," should not lecture on reputation.