Rabbi Amnon Yitzhak Ordered to Pay Damages in Defamation Case

Rabbi Amnon Yitzhak and the Shofar organization were ordered to pay approximately 25,000 shekels in compensation to a woman who filed a defamation lawsuit against them. The case stems from a 2023 interview Rabbi Yitzhak gave to Shimon Riklin on Channel 14, where he opened with a sharp speech against the political left. According to a report by The Seventh Eye, the plaintiff is the partner of a man named Evitar Malachi, who had consulted with Rabbi Yitzhak over the years. After watching Yitzhak's interview, Malachi publicly accused him of trying to divide the nation. Following this, Malachi's partner claimed that her husband, his family, and relatives became targets of harsh verbal attacks.

The lawsuit was filed about a year ago in the Small Claims Court against Rabbi Yitzhak, the Shofar association, and its director, Rabbi Yitzhak's son Eliyahu Yitzhak. The plaintiff demanded compensation of around 39,000 shekels. The judge ruled against the defendants, ordering them to pay the plaintiff 22,000 shekels plus 2,500 shekels in legal expenses. In a related case, Eliyahu Yosian also lost a lawsuit and was ordered to pay 5,000 shekels.