Tel Aviv Court Orders Left-Wing Activists to Pay Defamation Damages to Teacher
A Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court ruled in favor of English teacher Bat Zion Ziskind, who was defamed by left-wing activists Tzvika Amit and Nurit Metz. The court found that the activists, who managed a local Facebook group in Ramat Hasharon, failed to prove their serious allegations against Ziskind and replaced facts with a misleading narrative. The ruling came seven years after the controversy began in 2019, following a lesson Ziskind gave to ninth graders on the anniversary of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination, during which she discussed conspiracy theories but clarified she did not believe them.
The activists had posted claims that Ziskind taught that Yigal Amir did not intend to kill Rabin, accused her of distorting history, and questioned her fitness to teach. They also shared her full name, photo, and alleged she held extreme right-wing views. The court criticized the activists for not presenting any witnesses, including students, parents, or school officials, to substantiate their claims. Judge Guy Hyman accepted Ziskind's testimony that she presented the conspiracy theories as unproven and condemned the activists for attributing to her "denial of historical reality" and "distortion of facts," which harmed her reputation and professional standing.
The judgment emphasized the heightened damage caused when such accusations target educators, as they imply serious ethical and educational failings. The court also held the Facebook group managers responsible for the defamatory posts, noting their control over the content. The ruling highlighted the dangers of social media narratives that replace facts with unproven stories, quoting Supreme Court Justice Yitzhak Amit on how repeated lies can be perceived as truth.
Ziskind was awarded 45,000 shekels in damages, which with linkage and interest amounts to approximately 61,000 shekels. The judge noted that although social media defamation awards are usually lower, the cumulative and severe nature of the posts justified a higher compensation. This verdict underscores the legal accountability of social media group administrators and the serious consequences of defamatory online campaigns.
