Right-Wing Activist Sued for Over 700,000 Shekels for Defaming Oct. 7 Families
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
The 'Qomu' movement filed a NIS 710,023 defamation lawsuit against activist Ziv Baranes for posts allegedly comparing the movement to the Third Reich and accusing families of responsibility for the October 7th massacre. Yonatan Shimris, the movement's founder, stated the lawsuit aims to combat falsehoods and protect the memory of victims. Baranes previously faced a NIS 167,000 demand from former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett over an AI-generated image.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- The 'Qomu' movement sued activist Ziv Baranes for NIS 710,023 over alleged defamation of Oct. 7 families.
- Baranes allegedly compared the movement to the Third Reich and called a memorial ceremony 'propaganda'.
- Yonatan Shimris, movement founder, stated the lawsuit aims to combat falsehoods and protect victims' memory.
- Baranes also allegedly accused families of responsibility for the Oct. 7 massacre.
- He previously faced a NIS 167,000 demand from former PM Naftali Bennett.
The "Qomu" movement has filed a defamation lawsuit for NIS 710,023 against social activist Ziv Baranes. The suit stems from social media posts by Baranes that allegedly denigrated the "Qomu" movement and a national memorial ceremony for the October 7th events, which was initiated by bereaved families.
According to the movement's claims, Baranes compared "Qomu" to the "Third Reich" and described the memorial ceremony as "propaganda on the level of the Third Reich." He also allegedly published further accusations against the families behind the event. Yonatan Shimris, founder of "Qomu" and brother of Alon Shimris, who was kidnapped and killed in Gaza, announced the lawsuit, stating that Baranes's remarks harmed the memory of the victims and bereaved families.
Shimris asserted that the ceremony was intended to commemorate the victims and unite Israeli society, and was open to the public. He further claimed that Baranes accused the organizing families of responsibility for the massacre in which his brother was killed, alleged the event was funded by political entities, and suggested it was conducted for financial gain. Shimris countered that the ceremony was funded solely by donations and denied claims of excluding bereaved families.
Shimris also stated that Baranes mocked his personal grief and the efforts to return hostages. He added that Baranes refused to apologize, even after receiving a legal warning, and instead wrote that he should have used "much harsher words." The lawsuit's amount, NIS 710,023, was chosen for its symbolic connection to October 7th, aiming to combat what Shimris described as bullying and falsehoods and to protect the memory of the victims.
This is not the first time Baranes has faced legal threats. In April 2026, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett demanded NIS 167,000 from him over an AI-generated image depicting Bennett and former Ministry of Finance Director-General Keren Turner in shirts of the "Brothers in Arms" organization. Bennett claimed the image falsely suggested a connection between Turner and the group. Baranes reportedly refused to apologize and responded harshly on social media.
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