Former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen has sent a pre-lawsuit warning letter to Channel 14 and filed a statement of claim against Mika Kobbi, accusing them of publishing “false, serious and harmful” claims. The move comes after Cohen joined Gadi Eisenkot’s Yesh! party.
The dispute stems from a June 17 broadcast on Shimon Riklin’s program, where Kobbi alleged that Cohen had pressured for the release of Yahya Sinwar while supposedly knowing he planned to carry out a massacre. Cohen said the accusations were entirely untrue and described the channel as a platform for spreading a severe libel against someone who served for decades in the security establishment.
In his response, Cohen said, “As the governing alternative led by Yesh! with Eisenkot strengthens, the campaign of smears and lies intensifies. The pressure is understandable and clear.” The warning letter and the claim were submitted through the law firm Ben Tzur Korb & Co.
Cohen is demanding that Kobbi retract his remarks and that Channel 14 publish a public correction and apology, clarify that the statements were false, and remove the misleading publications.
