Court Orders Citizen to Pay Benny Gantz $11,000 for Defamation
A Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court has ordered a citizen to pay former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz 40,000 shekels (approximately $11,000 USD) in damages for defamation, plus 5,000 shekels in legal fees. The ruling came after the individual posted false accusations on social media alleging Gantz was involved in a treasonous plot to facilitate a mass kidnapping for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The post, published in December 2024 under the headline "The Great Treason Plot," claimed Gantz, along with other senior officials, collaborated with Americans and was a "collaborator" planted in the war cabinet. Gantz filed a lawsuit for libel, asserting the claims were entirely false and damaged his reputation.
The defendant failed to submit a defense statement or present their case throughout the legal proceedings. Consequently, the court issued a default judgment based solely on Gantz's submitted evidence and claims.
Presiding Judge Eliyahu Ben Yitzhak stated that while public figures must tolerate criticism, falsely accusing someone of treason crosses the line of permissible critique and constitutes clear defamation. The court also denied Gantz's request for double damages without proof of harm, citing insufficient evidence of malicious intent due to the lack of defense.
This verdict aligns with a recent trend of Israeli courts imposing significant penalties on individuals spreading fake news online. Similar rulings include a lawsuit by Yair Golan against Sara Netanyahu for 2.5 million shekels over comparable accusations.
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