Ben Mosh Family Feuds Over Royalties From Israeli Music Legends
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
Three brothers from the Ben Mosh family, pioneers of Israeli Mizrahi music production, are in a legal dispute over unpaid royalties and wages. Moshe Ben Mosh is suing his brothers Avigdor and Eliezer for approximately 400,000 shekels, claiming he was denied his rightful share from their company, Ben Mosh Records, which produced music for artists like Zohar Argov. A court ruled in December 2025 that the company owes Moshe 92,000 shekels, but he claims the checks have bounced. Moshe is now seeking financial records to determine the full extent of his entitlement.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Moshe Ben Mosh is suing his brothers Avigdor and Eliezer for 400,000 shekels over alleged unpaid royalties.
- Ben Mosh Records produced music for legendary Israeli artists like Zohar Argov and Deklon.
- A December 2025 court ruling ordered the company to pay Moshe Ben Mosh 92,000 shekels.
- Moshe Ben Mosh claims the awarded payment checks have been dishonored by banks.
- The dispute centers on alleged mismanagement and withholding of funds from the family's music production company.
Three brothers from the Ben Mosh family, pioneers of Mizrahi music production and distribution, are embroiled in a protracted legal battle over alleged unpaid royalties and wages owed to one brother, Moshe Ben Mosh, a well-known guitarist in the genre. Their company, Ben Mosh Records, was a leading producer of tapes and records in the 1970s and 80s for prominent artists including Zohar Argov, Yishai Levi, Eli Luzon, Shlomi Shabbat, and Deklon, Moshe Ben Mosh's long-time musical partner.
Ben Mosh Records, now inactive, is entitled to ongoing royalties from the Israeli and Mediterranean Music Federation (HIFIL). The brothers hold different stakes in the company: Avigdor has 46%, Moshe has 36%, and Eliezer has 18%. Moshe Ben Mosh claims that in 2018, his brother Avigdor registered himself as a shareholder in HIFIL instead of the company, with the circumstances and any compensation remaining undisclosed to him. This led Moshe to file a lawsuit in 2023 with the Tel Aviv Regional Labor Court against Avigdor and Eliezer, seeking approximately 400,000 shekels.
Moshe Ben Mosh asserted in his lawsuit, supported by pay stubs, that he received a monthly salary of around 5,000 to 5,300 shekels from the family company for royalties, plus a 100,000 shekel dividend. He claims the company owes him for unpaid wages and social benefits. He expressed shock at an accounting ledger presented by the company, calling it a "sophisticated forgery" and presented bank statements to prove he did not receive his due salary. Moshe stated that Ben Mosh Records would not have existed without him, lamenting that his brother Avigdor, more skilled in business, took control and acted as he pleased, while Moshe focused on recruiting artists.
Avigdor Ben Mosh countered in a sworn affidavit, stating that instead of gratitude for providing him a respectable living, Moshe filed a lawsuit disconnected from reality. Avigdor explained that in 2014, he offered Moshe to report part of his profit share via pay stubs from Ben Mosh Records to save on taxes, an arrangement that lasted until 2018. Avigdor then stopped payments, citing Moshe's failure to contribute to increasing the business's profits. Regarding royalties, Avigdor claimed all income from a new company he established with other producers was transferred to Ben Mosh Records and equally distributed, despite Moshe's alleged lack of knowledge of the company's location or visits there.
The lawsuit concluded in December 2025 with a ruling that the brothers' production company must pay Moshe Ben Mosh 92,000 shekels. However, according to a recent request filed by Moshe Ben Mosh with the Tel Aviv District Court's economic department for financial documents and reports, the checks issued to him for the awarded debt by Ben Mosh Records were dishonored by the banks. Moshe's current filing seeks clarification on company revenues, their disposition, dividend distribution decisions, and any payments or benefits provided to other shareholders or related companies, as he does not automatically claim 36% of all company income.