Israeli Court Orders Deliveryman to Pay 88,000 Shekels for Distributing Defamatory Letters Against Property Management Company

The Magistrate's Court in the Krayot recently ruled in favor of Psagot Building Management and Systems Ltd., ordering a deliveryman to pay 88,000 shekels in damages for distributing defamatory letters against the company. The incident occurred in July 2022, when Almog Jumaah, a 35-year-old firefighter from Tirat Carmel, distributed hundreds of envelopes containing slanderous claims about the company to residents in multiple cities including Tirat Carmel, Kiryat Motzkin, Kiryat Bialik, Acre, and Haifa.

According to the lawsuit, Jumaah delivered the envelopes late at night, taking measures to avoid security cameras by parking his scooter away from buildings. The letters warned residents against engaging with Psagot, accusing the company of criminal behavior, fraud, and threats, allegations the company vehemently denied as defamatory. After discovering the distribution in June 2022, Psagot hired a private investigator who identified Jumaah as the distributor.

Jumaah admitted to delivering the envelopes but claimed he was unaware of their content, stating he was paid 1,000 shekels by an unknown man to distribute them. The court rejected this defense, emphasizing that distributors of harmful publications can be held liable if they fail to prove ignorance of the defamatory nature. The judge highlighted that merely acting as a courier does not grant immunity, especially under suspicious circumstances.

The court awarded Psagot 40,000 shekels for defamation damages, 40,000 shekels for legal expenses, and an additional 8,000 shekels previously imposed during the proceedings, totaling 88,000 shekels. Attorney Yaniv Baruch, chair of the Haifa District Defamation Committee, who represented Psagot, stated the ruling sends a clear message that spreading defamatory information is not excused by ignorance of its content and reinforces protections for corporate reputations against smear campaigns.