Israeli Food Blogger Daniel Amit Sues Journalist Dana Yarkazi for Defamation Over Cake Criticism

Israeli food influencer and blogger Daniel Amit has filed a defamation lawsuit against i24news journalist Dana Yarkazi in the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court, seeking 330,000 shekels in damages. The legal dispute stems from a series of videos and articles Yarkazi published criticizing cakes released by Amit over recent months.

The conflict began in September when Amit launched a chocolate cake that Yarkazi harshly reviewed, comparing it unfavorably to cheaper alternatives. Amit responded dismissively, calling the critique "nonsense," prompting Yarkazi to post a video criticizing influencers, including Amit, for contributing to the high cost of living. Two months ago, the feud reignited after Amit released a cheesecake, which Yarkazi again criticized on her program "Gilboa Index," comparing it to a similar but less expensive cake. Amit retaliated by accusing Yarkazi of lying for traffic.

Amit's lawsuit, filed through attorneys Mika Bar-Natan and Moti Arad of Goldfarb Gross Zeligman, accuses Yarkazi of a "systematic, ongoing defamatory campaign" that misrepresents Amit's products as overpriced and unfairly marketed. The suit claims Yarkazi's comparisons were partial, misleading, and omitted key differences, causing serious harm to Amit's reputation and business. It also alleges Yarkazi used sarcastic and personal language that damaged Amit's good name and customer trust.

Despite previous requests to remove the offending content, Yarkazi allegedly refused to retract or correct her statements and escalated the attacks, indicating intentional misconduct. Amit demands compensation of 330,000 shekels for defamation related to each cake, legal fees, a permanent injunction against further defamatory posts, and a public correction on social media. i24news has not responded to requests for comment.