Court Orders Dan Harel to Compensate Yossi Dagan and Tzvi Sukkot for Defamation Claims

The Central District Magistrate's Court President, Judge Menachem Mizrahi, ruled decisively on Monday in the mutual defamation lawsuit involving Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, Knesset member Tzvi Sukkot, and former IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Major General (res.) Dan Harel. The case centered on Harel's statements on the program "Meet the Press" following the October 7 massacre, where he claimed that "a battalion and a half from the south" had been diverted to secure Sukkot's sukkah in Hawara.

The court found that Harel failed to prove the truth of his claims and explicitly determined that no such troop redeployment occurred from the Southern Command to protect Sukkot’s sukkah. This ruling effectively ended the defamatory narrative against the settlers. Consequently, the court accepted Sukkot's defamation claim, ordering Harel to pay him 35,000 shekels in compensation.

Simultaneously, the court dismissed Harel's counterclaim against Dagan and the Samaria Regional Council regarding his harsh criticisms, ruling that these statements were protected under freedom of expression. In addition to the compensation to Sukkot, Harel was ordered to pay legal fees and court costs of 10,000 shekels plus VAT to both Dagan and Sukkot.

In response, Yossi Dagan stated that the verdict is clear and that unfounded accusations against the settlers of Judea and Samaria will not be tolerated. He emphasized his commitment to defending the residents and bereaved families of Samaria and called for unity and love among Israelis rather than division and slander. Knesset member Tzvi Sukkot added that those who slander will face consequences, highlighting that Harel, who commanded the evacuation of Jews from Gush Katif, falsely tried to implicate him in the massacre. The court’s ruling clarified that no soldiers were transferred from Southern Command to Central Command because of him, and that defamatory lies carry a price.