Bereaved Parents Sue Former PM Bennett for Defamation

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Herzl and Meirav Hajaj, parents of a terror victim, are suing former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for NIS 200,000 in a defamation lawsuit. They claim Bennett falsely implied they were paid political activists disrupting his speeches. Bennett stated in an interview that the Likud party hired paid individuals to disrupt him, which the Hajajs believe referred to their protest. Bennett's representatives deny the allegations, stating his comments were aimed at Likud activists, not bereaved families.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Bereaved parents Herzl and Meirav Hajaj sued former PM Naftali Bennett for NIS 200,000.
The lawsuit alleges Bennett defamed them by implying they were paid political activists.
Bennett claimed in an interview that the Likud party hired paid individuals to disrupt him.
The Hajajs state their protest was independent and motivated by personal beliefs, not payment.
Bennett's representatives deny the allegations, stating his remarks targeted Likud activists.

Bereaved Parents Sue Former PM Bennett for Defamation — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Herzl and Meirav Hajaj, parents of the late Lieutenant Shir Hajaj who was killed in a 2017 terror attack in Jerusalem, have filed a NIS 200,000 defamation lawsuit against former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. The couple alleges that Bennett implied they were paid political activists working for the Likud party to disrupt his speeches during Memorial Day ceremonies.

The lawsuit centers on an interview Bennett gave to journalist Omri Assenheim on Channel 13, where he claimed the Likud party hired paid activists to disrupt his speeches. When asked if he was sure these individuals were paid, Bennett responded, "One hundred percent. One hundred percent. The Likud, here, I'm saying it, go ahead, want to? Sue me."

The Hajajs contend that although Bennett did not name them, his remarks referred to them. They stated in their lawsuit that their protest against Bennett during Memorial Day ceremonies was widely covered by the media, and their identity as protesters was known. Therefore, they argue, portraying the protesters as acting on behalf of Likud and for payment damaged their good name and the credibility of their protest.

The couple asserts they never received payment from any political entity for their protest. They claim their opposition to Bennett stemmed from a sense of betrayal of his election promises and disagreement with his political cooperation with the Ra'am party, not from financial or partisan motives. Their protest, they maintain, was a personal initiative driven by their beliefs and pain.

Bennett's legal team responded to a prior notice of the lawsuit by denying the allegations. They stated Bennett's remarks were not directed at bereaved families and that he respects the Hajaj family. They further argued that his comments in the interview referred to Likud activists, not the bereaved families' protest.

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