Journalist Steif Seeks Public Funds for Naveh Case Damages Amid Criticism

Journalist Hadas Steif is seeking to raise 800,000 shekels from the public to cover damages awarded against her in the Efi Naveh affair. The move has sparked controversy, with legal commentator Avishai Grinzaig accusing Steif of requesting significantly more than she is personally liable for.

The case stems from 2019, when Steif, then a crime reporter for Galei Tzahal (Army Radio), obtained old mobile phones belonging to Efi Naveh, who was then the influential head of the Israel Bar Association. The phones, given to Steif by Naveh's then-wife, were allegedly hacked with the help of a technical source, revealing personal information. This information led to the exposure of the "sex for appointment" scandal, which involved suspicions of improper relationships between Naveh and women in the judicial system. Although a police investigation was launched, the case against Naveh and Judge Eti Kraif was closed in 2021 without indictments due to evidentiary challenges and concerns about the admissibility of the phone data.

In a recent ruling, the District Court determined that Steif was the primary instigator behind the phone hacking, though she did not perform the act herself. Judge Oren Schwartz ordered Steif and the state, as Galei Tzahal's responsible entity, to pay Naveh 450,000 shekels for violating his privacy. Additionally, Steif was personally ordered to pay 90,000 shekels in legal fees and 30,000 shekels for a post in which she called Naveh "garbage worm," plus related court costs. This brings her personal liability to at least 120,000 shekels, with a shared liability of 450,000 shekels with the state.

Grinzaig criticized Steif's crowdfunding campaign, highlighting her previous declaration that she would go to jail rather than pay Naveh. He stated on X (formerly Twitter) that she is asking the public for hundreds of thousands more than she personally owes. Steif, in her appeal for public support, wrote that she had tried to avoid this situation and believed justice would prevail, but was mistaken. She claimed to have already spent her 35 years of savings on the legal battle and expressed a lack of confidence in the state covering its share of the damages, stating, "The state betrayed me."

The court distinguished between the method of obtaining the materials and their public importance, acknowledging the public interest in the publication while ruling against Steif for violating Naveh's privacy. Lawsuits against other Galei Tzahal journalists were dismissed. The dispute over who should bear the financial cost remains unresolved.