Journalist Hadas Steif and Galei Tzahal to Pay Efi Naveh NIS 450,000 Over Phone Hacking

A district court has ordered journalist Hadas Steif and the State of Israel, via its subsidiary Galei Tzahal (Army Radio), to pay NIS 450,000 in damages to Efi Naveh, former Chairman of the Israel Bar Association. The ruling stems from the hacking of Naveh's mobile phones and the subsequent violation of his privacy.

Vice President of the Court, Judge Oren Schwartz, determined that Steif was not a passive recipient of information but rather the "initiating and mediating factor" who planned and facilitated the breach of the password-protected phones. This decision was made in the context of a civil lawsuit filed by Naveh against Steif and Galei Tzahal, following events that led to the "sex for appointment" investigation.

Naveh had initially sought NIS 7 million, alleging that one of his phones came into Steif's possession, was hacked with the help of an expert, and its contents were used. Steif had previously received immunity from criminal prosecution for how the materials were obtained, in exchange for providing the information to the police.

Judge Schwartz heavily criticized Steif's conduct, stating that evidence indicated her active involvement in obtaining the information, not just receiving it. He wrote that Steif "recruited the perpetrator of the breach" and was aware of how the information was acquired. The judge noted that Steif met with the hacker at his home and viewed the extracted data, concluding that Steif was "well aware of the improper manner in which the information was extracted."

The hacking incident in 2019 led to a criminal investigation into alleged interference in judicial appointments in exchange for sexual favors. The investigation focused on the relationship between Naveh, then head of the Bar Association and a member of the Judicial Appointments Committee, and Judge Eti Kraif. Both confirmed an intimate relationship. While police believed there was sufficient evidence to indict Naveh and Kraif, the State Prosecutor's Office decided in March 2021 not to file charges, citing "difficult factual findings" but an unlikely chance of conviction, partly due to the improper acquisition of evidence and the severe privacy violation.

Kraif resigned from the judiciary. In parallel to the criminal proceedings, Naveh filed his civil suit. The court's ruling now holds Steif and Galei Tzahal liable for the active and knowing involvement in the hacking, ordering them to pay approximately NIS 600,000 in total damages, including legal expenses.