Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared Thursday morning at Tel Aviv District Court for continued testimony in his defamation lawsuit against journalists Ben Caspit and Uri Misgav, and protest activist lawyer Gonen Ben Yitzhak. At the start of the hearing, he was cross-examined by Misgav’s attorney, Tali Liblich, who focused on claims tied to the articles and posts attributed to Misgav.
Liblich pressed Netanyahu on his claim that the suit concerned writings saying he had a terminal illness. Netanyahu replied, "It will take me a long time to find the place. It was said that I have pancreatic cancer." Liblich said Misgav never wrote that he had pancreatic cancer or that he was terminally ill. Netanyahu responded, "I deny it." When asked what he wrote in his affidavit, Netanyahu said Misgav was spreading lies and trying to create the impression that he was not in good health. He also said he had only "skimmed" the case materials.
The questioning then turned to video clips and remarks used to suggest cognitive decline or fatigue. Netanyahu said the criticism was nonsense, arguing that any person could be shown making slips if filmed enough. On a clip in which he called his son Avner "Avraham," he said, "That happens too. Judge for yourselves how sharp the cognitive sharpness is. A pathetic and unsuccessful attempt." He also dismissed an interview on "60 Minutes" describing him as tired and disheveled, saying, "They said nonsense." At one point Judge Menachem Mזרחי interjected, noting that many people look tired.
Netanyahu further claimed Misgav had seen his medical file and repeated a story about medical events, including prostate surgery and a second procedure to remove a small spot. Liblich replied that no medical file had been shown to the parties and that there was no indication Misgav wrote about cancer or metastases. The case concerns publications from 2024, including a May post by Yitzhak alleging he had information that Netanyahu was treated for pancreatic cancer, a Misgav post after a visit to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, and a Caspit claim quoting reserve Maj. Gen. Amiram Levin saying Netanyahu was "unfit and even dangerous to the state." The defendants say their publications are protected by law, and Netanyahu previously told the court, "My health is fine. I did not suffer from pancreatic cancer as reported, if I had, I would not be here."
