Court Rejects Sara Netanyahu's Bid to Dismiss Yair Golan's Defamation Lawsuit
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
A district court rejected Sara Netanyahu's attempt to dismiss a NIS 2.55 million defamation lawsuit filed by Yair Golan. The court found Netanyahu's claims baseless and ordered her to pay NIS 2,000 in legal costs. The lawsuit concerns Netanyahu's alleged implication that Golan had prior knowledge of the October 7th attack. The court ruled that Netanyahu is responsible for her published statements, allowing the defamation case to proceed.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- A district court rejected Sara Netanyahu's request to dismiss Yair Golan's NIS 2.55 million defamation lawsuit.
- The court found Netanyahu's claims baseless and ordered her to pay NIS 2,000 in legal expenses.
- The lawsuit alleges Netanyahu implied Yair Golan had prior knowledge of the October 7th attack.
- Netanyahu's argument that she was not responsible for publication was rejected by the court.
- The court ruled that an interviewee is responsible for their published statements.
- The main defamation case and claims of incitement are still pending.
A district court has dismissed a request by Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Prime Minister, to throw out a NIS 2.55 million defamation lawsuit filed against her by Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party. The court ruled that Netanyahu's claims were baseless and ordered her to pay Golan NIS 2,000 in legal expenses.
The lawsuit centers on statements Netanyahu made in an interview with Channel 14, in which she allegedly implied that Golan had prior knowledge of the October 7th Hamas attack. Netanyahu stated in the interview, "Yair Golan was dressed and ready on the morning of October 7th when the Prime Minister did not know." Golan's legal team filed the suit after Netanyahu refused to apologize or retract her remarks.
Netanyahu had argued that she was merely interviewed and that third parties, including Channel 14, were responsible for publishing her words. However, the court rejected this distinction, stating that a person interviewed with the knowledge and consent that their words will be broadcast cannot disavow their publication. The judge determined that there is no justification for artificially separating the interviewee's role in publication from that of the broadcasting entity, as they represent two sides of the same coin.
The court's decision does not rule on whether Netanyahu's statements constitute defamation, but rather allows the lawsuit to proceed. The suit also includes a claim for civil damages based on alleged incitement to violence, with the plaintiffs noting that Netanyahu's advisor allegedly reviewed the interview before its broadcast.
Following the ruling, Golan stated, "The truth will defeat the lie." He added that those who "spill blood and spread false accusations will not escape responsibility." The main lawsuit seeking NIS 2.55 million in damages is still pending, and the claims of defamation and incitement require further legal proceedings.
