Veteran Israeli Journalist Hadas Steif Seeks Public Donations Amid Financial Woes
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Veteran Israeli journalist Hadas Steif is appealing to the public for financial help after being ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of shekels in damages to former Israel Bar Association head Efi Nave. Steif, who accessed Nave's phones as part of her reporting, stated that asset seizure looms and her life will be made miserable. She claims her actions were journalistic work and that she has exhausted her savings funding the legal battle.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Journalist Hadas Steif is crowdfunding to pay damages to Efi Nave after accessing his phones.
- Steif faces asset seizure and claims her life will be made miserable by the debt.
- The court ruled Steif initiated the breach and violated Nave's privacy.
- Steif argues her actions were part of her journalistic work.
- She claims to have used all her savings from 35 years of work for the legal case.
Veteran Israeli journalist and radio broadcaster Hadas Steif, known for her over three decades covering police and crime for Galey Tzahal radio, has launched a public appeal for financial assistance. Steif announced on Facebook that she is seeking donations to help her manage significant financial obligations stemming from a legal ruling.
Steif was ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of shekels in compensation to Efi Nave, former head of the Israel Bar Association, following a legal battle. The case involved Steif's actions in 2019, when she obtained and accessed Nave's old mobile phones, publishing material from them. This act sparked a wide debate on journalistic privilege, privacy laws, and computer hacking.
In her Facebook post, Steif expressed her reluctance to resort to crowdfunding, stating, "I tried to avoid this. I thought justice would be done. I was wrong." She explained that she felt compelled to act due to the impending threat of asset seizure, lamenting, "Execution will make my life miserable."
Steif argued that her actions were part of her journalistic work, comparing the Efi Nave case to others she covered, such as those involving Silvan Shalom and Emanuel Rosen. She expressed a feeling of betrayal by the state, questioning whether the state would even cover its share of the judge's ruling. Steif revealed that she has used all her savings from 35 years of work to fund the legal proceedings.
The court had previously ruled that Steif was the instigator and facilitator of the breach into password-protected devices, deeming her actions to have a criminal nature given her central role. The court rejected her defense arguments, concluding that her actions constituted a severe violation of Nave's privacy.
