Journalist Launches Crowdfunding for Legal Payout Amidst Public Criticism

Journalist Hadas Shtaif has launched a crowdfunding campaign seeking to raise 800,000 shekels to cover a court-ordered compensation payment to Efi Naveh, former Chairman of the Israel Bar Association, for invasion of privacy. Shtaif stated on social media that she was compelled to seek public assistance after initially vowing to go to jail rather than pay, fearing asset seizure and enforcement proceedings. She explained that the legal battle has already consumed all compensation she received over 35 years of work and accused the state of betraying her, asserting that the Efi Naveh affair was part of her journalistic work and not for personal gain.

The campaign has drawn sharp criticism online, notably from journalist Avishai Grinzaig, who called Shtaif a "complete con artist." Grinzaig argued that the fundraising target significantly exceeds Shtaif's personal liability, which he calculated at approximately 390,000 shekels, based on a court ruling on October 5th by the Central District Court in Lod. The court found Shtaif to be the primary instigator of obtaining information from Naveh's phones, deeming her actions illegal and unethical, though it acknowledged the information's public importance and shared responsibility with Army Radio (Galei Tzahal).

Grinzaig pointed out that Shtaif's initial statement was that she would prefer jail to paying Naveh, and now she is requesting hundreds of thousands more than her personal share of the judgment. The court ruling stated that while Shtaif did not personally hack Naveh's phones, she was central to initiating and advancing the extraction of information from them. The court also assigned vicarious liability to Army Radio for Shtaif's actions. Shtaif did not explain in her post how the 800,000 shekel target was determined.