Haaretz and TheMarker Settle to Compensate B'Tselem Over False Arson Allegation

Haaretz newspaper, TheMarker website, and journalist Rotem Shtrikman have agreed to pay 10,000 shekels in compensation to the human rights organization B'Tselem. The settlement follows a mistaken report linking one of B'Tselem's authorized signatories, Yitzhak Gabay, to the arson of a bilingual school in Jerusalem. The error arose from confusion between two individuals sharing the same name; the B'Tselem signatory was born in 1979, while the convicted arsonist was born in 1992.

The controversy began amid a crowdfunding campaign for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's legal expenses, managed by B'Tselem. Various media outlets incorrectly claimed Gabay was the arsonist. After these reports, B'Tselem's lawyer Michael Litvak sent warning letters to several journalists and media outlets, including Walla journalist Barak Ravid, who deleted his post and later signed a confidential settlement with B'Tselem.

Haaretz, TheMarker, and Shtrikman reached a public settlement including the compensation payment, while legal proceedings continue against attorney Galia Shmilovitch, who allegedly authored the original false report and has not settled. B'Tselem CEO Shay Glick criticized the journalists for failing to verify facts and accused them of bias against right-wing groups. He welcomed the settlement and stated that the compensation funds would support IDF soldiers and Israel. Glick emphasized that B'Tselem will no longer tolerate defamation and falsehoods without legal consequences.