Education Minister Sends Defamation Warning to Naftali Bennett Over Remarks

Education Minister Yoav Kisch sent former prime minister Naftali Bennett a pre-lawsuit warning letter on Thursday over remarks Bennett made against him during a press conference about Bennett’s education plan.

Kisch says Bennett claimed that “we have a terrible education minister” and that “everyone in the education system knows that all that matters is the primaries.” The letter describes those statements as false, baseless, and defamatory, and says they were intended to damage Kisch’s reputation and portray him as acting for improper motives without any factual foundation.

The minister’s lawyers also said the comments are more serious because there is already an earlier legal proceeding between Kisch and Bennett involving previous defamation claims. According to the letter, Bennett made similar public allegations again despite that case already being underway, and did so, they argue, knowingly as part of a political campaign to gain an advantage by harming Kisch’s public standing.

Kisch demanded that Bennett retract the statements and issue a clear, public apology within seven days. If he does not, Kisch said he has instructed his lawyers to pursue all available legal measures under Israel’s defamation law and tort law. Bennett’s spokesman was contacted for comment, and his response will be published when received.