Channel 14 Host Claims 'Dreyfus Trial' Amid Defamation Case With Channel 12 Reporter

The ongoing legal dispute between Yinon Magal, host of Channel 14's "The Patriots," and Guy Peleg, a reporter and commentator for Channel 12, escalated in court on Tuesday. The hearing, part of a NIS 1 million defamation lawsuit filed by Peleg, focused on the repercussions of Magal's publications. Magal, at one point, raised his voice, exclaiming, "They are holding a Dreyfus trial against me!"

The case centers on a November 2024 publication by Magal, who claimed Peleg was arrested by the Shin Bet following the broadcast of a video related to the Yemen Field incident. Magal argued in his defense that his post was satire and intended to be understood as such by his followers. Peleg and Channel 12 filed the NIS 1 million lawsuit in November 2024, alleging Magal published false and damaging information about a non-existent arrest, demanding the removal of the posts, a retraction, and compensation for reputational damage.

During the hearing at the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court, Peleg presented a different perspective, stating that hundreds of people, including current and retired judges, contacted him with concern. His son, Uri, who was undergoing IDF basic training at the time, testified that he was alarmed and feared for his father's safety. Channel 12 commentator Amnon Abramovich also testified, describing Magal's publication as "a lie, malice, and fiction."

Magal maintained his stance that the publication was a joke, asserting that "it is clear to any sane person that some of the texts I put out are ridiculous." He added, "It was clear to me that anyone who read it would understand it was a joke." However, under cross-examination, Magal admitted that some individuals interpreted the publication as factual reporting.

Judge Meital Tzaphroni set a deadline of 45 days for the parties to submit their written summations. No verdict has been reached in this lawsuit yet. This is not the only legal confrontation between the two. In August, Magal was ordered to pay Peleg NIS 7,500 in a separate case where Magal had claimed Peleg did not serve in the IDF; the claim against Channel 14 in that instance was dismissed. Furthermore, in December 2025, Peleg and Channel 12 filed another NIS 1 million lawsuit against Magal for dozens of publications in which they allege he accused them of a "blood libel" against soldiers of Force 100. Magal responded to this by stating, "They are just talking nonsense."