Netanya Man Fined NIS 17,500 for Racist Slurs Against Arab Inspectors
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
A Netanya resident must pay NIS 17,500 to two Arab municipal inspectors after making racist remarks. The resident accused the inspectors of terrorism involvement and the October 7 attacks, and claimed he was fined because he is Jewish. The court ruled the statements were defamation and racist, ordering compensation after the defendant failed to appear in court. This ruling is part of a trend of courts awarding damages for racist speech.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Netanya resident ordered to pay NIS 17,500 for racist slurs against two Arab municipal inspectors.
- Defendant accused inspectors of terrorism involvement and October 7 attacks.
- Court ruled the remarks constituted defamation and racist statements.
- The defendant did not appear in court or submit a defense statement.
- The ruling is part of a trend of courts awarding damages for racist speech.
A resident of Netanya has been ordered by the Small Claims Court in the city to pay NIS 17,500 to two municipal enforcement inspectors from the Arab community, following racist remarks he made against them. The defendant, who accused the inspectors of involvement in terror attacks and the events of October 7, did not appear for the hearing and did not submit a defense statement.
The two inspectors, Yosef Jabara and Bishara Al-Tzalibi, from the Netanya Municipality's Enforcement and Supervision Department, filed a defamation lawsuit for NIS 35,000 against the resident. According to the lawsuit, the first incident occurred in November 2025 in Independence Square, when the defendant noticed the inspectors' names and began shouting harsh remarks at them, calling them "traitors" and associating them with terrorism and the October 7 events. Following his behavior, the defendant received a NIS 730 fine.
Hours later, the defendant stopped near inspector Jabara on Herzl Street while riding a motorcycle and resumed making racist remarks, claiming the fine was issued because "he is Jewish." The inspectors described the severe feelings of humiliation they experienced in front of citizens and colleagues. Inspector Al-Tzalibi testified about the deep shock he felt from being directly linked to the October 7 massacre solely due to his Arab origin. Inspector Jabara emphasized the severity of the repeated actions across two separate encounters that day.
The defendant chose not to file a defense statement or appear in court, despite being duly summoned and the lawsuit being delivered to his home. In his absence, Judge Itay Neeman heard the inspectors' testimonies, reviewed security footage and documentation, and examined the evidence. Judge Neeman ruled that the remarks constituted defamation and racist statements justifying financial compensation.
The plaintiffs agreed on an unequal distribution of the compensation, as Al-Tzalibi was present only at the first incident, while Jabara suffered from the defendant's actions in both encounters. Ultimately, Judge Neeman ordered the defendant to pay inspector Al-Tzalibi NIS 7,500 and inspector Jabara NIS 10,000, totaling NIS 17,500, half of the original claim amount. The defendant was also ordered to pay court costs.
The verdict joins a series of recent legal decisions where courts are imposing financial compensation for racist remarks and defamation. In recent weeks, several similar lawsuits have been heard, including a case against the Shufersal chain on a different matter and a defamation suit filed by journalist Rafi Ginat against right-wing activists who allegedly disseminated a fake image.