Court Orders Citizen to Pay Benny Gantz NIS 40,000 for Defamation

A Tel Aviv court has ordered a citizen to pay former Defense Minister Benny Gantz 40,000 shekels (approximately $10,800 USD) in damages, plus 5,000 shekels for legal fees, for spreading defamatory accusations on social media. The lawsuit stemmed from a post published in December 2024, titled "The Great Betrayal Plot," which falsely alleged Gantz's involvement in a conspiracy to facilitate a mass kidnapping as part of a plan to establish a Palestinian state.

The post specifically claimed that Gantz, who previously served as IDF Chief of Staff and Defense Minister, collaborated with other senior officials and Americans, labeling him and Gadi Eisenkot as "American collaborators deliberately planted in the War Cabinet." Gantz filed a libel suit, asserting these claims were false and damaging to his reputation.

The defendant did not file a defense or present their case during the legal proceedings. After the court confirmed the lawsuit had been properly served and no response was filed, a default judgment was issued based on Gantz's submitted evidence and claims.

Judge Eliyahu Ben Yitzhak stated that while public figures should expect criticism and exhibit tolerance, they are also entitled to protection of their good name. The court ruled that accusing someone in public trust of treason exceeds legitimate criticism and constitutes clear defamation.

However, the court denied Gantz's request for double damages without proof of harm, citing insufficient evidence of malicious intent due to the defendant's failure to present their side. This ruling follows a trend of Israeli courts imposing damages for false online publications, including a recent case involving Yair Golan suing Sara Netanyahu for similar accusations.