Israeli Court Orders Newspaper to Pay for False Report on Pork in Kosher Restaurant
Translated & summarized from Bizportal by baba
An Israeli court ordered the newspaper "Davar" to pay 250 Lira in damages to a restaurant owner after it falsely reported the presence of pork in his kosher establishment in 1952. The court found the report libelous and the subsequent correction inadequate.
The story in 4 lines · by baba
- Davar newspaper falsely reported pork in a kosher restaurant.
- The owner sued for libel after the report damaged his business.
- The court awarded the owner 250 Lira in damages.
- The newspaper's correction was deemed insufficient by the court.
In 1952, the Israeli newspaper "Davar" published a false report claiming that pork was found in Schneider's restaurant in Netanya, which operated under a "Kosher" sign. The report led to the temporary closure of the restaurant by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and caused significant damage to Schneider's reputation and livelihood.
Schneider, the restaurant owner, vehemently denied the accusation, stating that his establishment exclusively served kosher meat and that he was a religious man who observed kashrut laws. He argued that he had never sought or received an official kosher certification from the Netanya Rabbinate, as he believed his personal observance was sufficient for his customers.
Following the initial false report, "Davar" published a correction stating that pork had not been found in Netanya. However, Schneider was not satisfied, demanding a direct retraction from the newspaper. When this was not forthcoming, he filed a libel suit against "Davar."
The Tel Aviv District Court ruled in favor of Schneider, awarding him 250 Israeli Lira in compensation. Judge Shlomo Lovenberg determined that the newspaper had no defense for the initial publication and that the subsequent correction was insufficient. The court found that the false report directly harmed Schneider's reputation as a kosher restaurant owner and his business, as well as his integrity as an honest person, by implying he deceived his customers. The court also noted the newspaper's "improper conduct."