Netanyahu Sues Media Outlets for $700,000 Over Hamas Attack Warning Reports

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has filed a defamation lawsuit seeking 2.6 million shekels (approximately $700,000) against ten media organizations and journalists. The suit, lodged with the Jerusalem District Court, stems from reports alleging that Netanyahu was warned about Hamas's intentions before the October 7th attack by the President of the United Arab Emirates and the head of Egyptian intelligence, but failed to relay this information to security officials.

Netanyahu vehemently denies these claims, asserting that no such meetings or conversations with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel took place during the relevant period. The lawsuit contends that official records from the Prime Minister's Office do not document any such discussions. The legal filing specifically targets a September 8th report in the newspaper Haaretz by Shlomi Eldar and Ruti Yuval concerning a warning from the UAE president, alongside other related publications on the newspaper's website and social media.

The lawsuit also addresses reports from Channel 12 and Barak Ravid concerning the alleged conversation with the UAE president, a column by Nadav Eyal, publications on Ynet including a report about a warning from the Egyptian intelligence chief, and posts by Uri Misgav and Attila Somfalvi on social media. Netanyahu alleges that these reports, including accusations of "internal betrayal" by Misgav, were disseminated intentionally to harm him, particularly during an election period.

In response to a prior warning letter from Netanyahu, Haaretz's legal team rejected his demand to retract the publication, stating the newspaper stands by its investigation. The lawsuit describes the reports as "complete falsehoods, baseless fabrications, and malicious misrepresentations," accusing the media of "national fraud disguised as journalistic work" and a "well-timed, manipulative, and mass deception of the voting public" aimed at "stealing the election and polluting the democratic process."

Netanyahu argues that the defendants rushed to present "absolute lies" as fact, violating fundamental journalistic verification duties. The lawsuit claims that "an absolute lie, however severe and fantastic, can never constitute 'truth in publication.'" The claims in the lawsuit have not yet been decided by the court.