Court Awards Damages in Efi Wife Phone Hacking Case, But Key Questions Remain
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
A court awarded former Israel Bar Association head Efi the wife NIS 615,000 in damages from Galatz and reporter Hadas Steif over the hacking of his phones during a divorce. While the wife received compensation, the ruling left open questions about the legality of evidence gathering and the lack of criminal charges against those involved.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Efi the wife awarded NIS 615,000 in damages from Galatz and reporter Hadas Steif.
- Phone hacking occurred during the wife's contentious divorce proceedings.
- Information on phones allegedly revealed affairs and judicial appointment improprieties.
- Reporter Hadas Steif received immunity from prosecution.
- Key figures avoided criminal charges due to evidence gathering concerns.
A Central District Court judge has ruled in the case of former Israel Bar Association head Efi the wife's lawsuit against Galatz (Army Radio) and its staff, awarding the wife NIS 615,000 in damages and legal expenses. The court found Galatz and reporter Hadas Steif liable for damages but dismissed claims against senior station personnel Raz Barakay, Nurit Kanti, and Ilial Shahar. A claim against former Galatz commander Shimon Elkabetz was withdrawn due to personal tragedy.
The lawsuit stemmed from the hacking of the wife's mobile phones during a contentious divorce from his wife, Hani. The wife, with the help of private investigator Yuli Rosenberg and Steif, accessed the phones, which allegedly contained information about the wife's affairs and potentially compromising material related to judicial appointments.
Judge Oren Schwartz described a complex intersection of interests: Steif, an investigative journalist focused on corruption; Rosenberg, a private investigator involved in a protest against the wife; and the wife, seeking information for her divorce. The phones reportedly contained evidence of the wife's extramarital affairs, which Steif believed was part of a larger public interest story concerning potential abuse of power and misconduct within the judicial appointment process, including allegations related to Judge Eti Kraif and former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked.
Despite the sensitive information, Steif and Galatz were not prosecuted for how the material was obtained, due to concerns about the legality of the evidence gathering and a potential threat by the wife to implicate other prominent figures. Steif received immunity from prosecution, likened by the judge to that of a state witness, a decision the article's author questions. The court also noted that while Galatz was held liable, its senior staff were cleared, partly due to the "fruit of the poisonous tree" legal doctrine and a general aversion to the wife's conduct.
In addition to the damages from Galatz and Steif, Steif was ordered to pay the wife NIS 90,000 in expenses and NIS 25,000 for defamation, after calling the wife "garbage worm" on Facebook. The judge acknowledged the journalistic imperative to expose potential corruption but also cautioned against an influx of defamation lawsuits.
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