Bereaved Parents Sue Ex-PM Bennett for NIS 200,000 Over Memorial Day Remarks
Translated & summarized from Makor Rishon by baba
Herzl and Mirav Hagag, parents of the late Lieutenant Shir Hagag, are suing former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for NIS 200,000 in defamation. They allege Bennett falsely described protesters at Memorial Day ceremonies as "paid thugs" acting for the Likud party. Bennett denies his remarks were aimed at bereaved families, claiming they referred to Likud activists. The lawsuit seeks damages, removal of the statements, and a public apology.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Bereaved parents Herzl and Mirav Hagag are suing former PM Naftali Bennett for NIS 200,000.
- The lawsuit alleges Bennett defamed them by calling protesters "paid thugs" at Memorial Day ceremonies.
- Bennett stated the "paid thugs" were hired by the Likud party to disrupt ceremonies.
- The Hagags claim the public understood Bennett's remarks to refer to them.
- Bennett denies his comments were directed at bereaved families.
- The plaintiffs seek damages, removal of statements, and a public apology.
A NIS 200,000 defamation lawsuit has been filed against former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the Rishon LeZion Magistrate's Court. The suit was brought by Herzl and Mirav Hagag, parents of the late Lieutenant Shir Hagag, who was killed in a terrorist attack. The Hagags allege that Bennett defamed them by referring to protesters against him at Memorial Day ceremonies as "paid thugs" acting on behalf of the Likud party.
The lawsuit stems from remarks Bennett made during an interview on Channel 13, where he stated, "The Likud hires people with megaphones... The Likud hires, throughout the years, paid thugs to disrupt my Memorial Day ceremony when I was prime minister. These are Likud people who received money, they disrupted it."
The Hagags claim that Bennett's statements, though not naming them directly, were understood by the public to refer to them and other bereaved families who protested against him. They argue that being labeled "paid thugs" or "hired thugs" severely damages their good name, integrity, and the sincerity of their protest.
Bennett's legal team has denied the allegations, stating that his remarks were not directed at bereaved families. In a response to a prior warning letter, they asserted that Bennett "has great love for bereaved families, including the Hagag family, and deep appreciation for their contribution to the country." They maintain that Bennett's comments referred to the actions of Likud activists at the ceremonies, not the bereaved families' protests.
In addition to the NIS 200,000 in damages, the Hagags are seeking a court order for Bennett to remove the allegedly defamatory statements from all platforms and to issue a public apology. The court will now decide whether Bennett's statements constitute defamation, even without explicit mention of the plaintiffs' names.
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