Court Rules Journalist Hadas Steif Liable in Efi Nawe Phone Hacking Case
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
A court has ruled journalist Hadas Steif partially liable in a case brought by former legal figure Efi Nawe concerning the extraction and publication of data from Nawe's mobile phones. The court found Steif initiated the process of obtaining information from Nawe's devices, which were in his ex-wife's possession, and directed its organization for a journalistic report. While other respondents and Galei Tzahal were cleared, Steif and the state, due to vicarious liability for Steif's actions, were ordered to pay Nawe 450,000 shekels.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Journalist Hadas Steif was found partially liable for privacy violations in the Efi Nawe phone data case.
- The court ordered Steif and the state to pay Efi Nawe 450,000 shekels in damages.
- The judge ruled Steif was central in initiating the extraction of data from Nawe's phones.
- Nawe, a former head of the Israel Bar Association, had sued over leaked phone information.
- Other respondents and Galei Tzahal were cleared of wrongdoing in the case.
- The ruling involved data obtained from Nawe's mobile devices, deemed private.
A court ruling has brought renewed attention to the case involving the leaked phone data of Efi Nawe, a prominent former legal figure in Israel. Nawe, who served as Chairman of the Israel Bar Association from 2015 to 2019 and was a member of the judicial selection committee, faced legal troubles including charges related to illegally aiding his partner's departure and return to Israel. He was convicted and received a light sentence.
Nawe later sued, claiming that information from his phones was leaked to media outlets, including the radio station Galei Tzahal, seeking 7 million shekels in damages. He alleged that journalist Hadas Steif received information about his intimate relationships with trainees who allegedly expected favors in return. Steif's defense was that Nawe's ex-wife, Chani, provided her with mobile devices left at her home, which she then passed to an individual named Yuli for data extraction.
However, the court found that Chani did not own the devices and was not authorized to transfer them. The judge ruled that Steif was the central figure who initiated the connection between Chani and Yuli to extract information from Nawe's phones, even instructing Yuli on how to organize the data for a journalistic report. The court determined that Nawe's ownership of the devices and the private nature of the information were violated.
While the court found that Steif did not personally hack the devices and that other respondents, including Galei Tzahal, were protected under privacy laws for reporting on the alleged corruption related to judicial appointments, it found Steif liable. The judge stated that a journalist cannot actively participate in an illegal act that violates privacy and still claim legal protection. Steif was found to have severely infringed upon Nawe's privacy by copying electronic messages, using private information, and publishing personal content obtained through illegal means.
Consequently, the court partially accepted the lawsuit against Steif and Galei Tzahal, holding them jointly and severally liable to pay Nawe 450,000 shekels, along with legal expenses and an additional sum for a specific publication.
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