‘Al Jazeera 12’? How the fight between News 12 and a right-wing journalist ended

The legal proceeding that News 12 brought against journalist Eli Tzipori ended with a mediation agreement that was given the force of a court ruling by the Tel Aviv District Court. The lawsuit, filed for about 1 million shekels, concerned claims of defamation and libel over publications in which Tzipori referred to News 12 as “Al Jazeera 12.”

At the center of the case was the use of that expression against the news company on various occasions. As part of the mediation, the sides reached understandings under which Tzipori will refrain in the future from using the phrase “Al Jazeera 12.” He also explicitly clarified that he does not believe News 12 is Al Jazeera and that there is no connection between the two entities.

Additional commitments were made between the sides during the mediation, but they remain confidential and were not disclosed to the public. The case ended in practice without a full judicial ruling on the monetary claim filed by News 12, but with a series of binding commitments from Tzipori, recorded in the agreement and approved by the court. For News 12, the arrangement marks the end of the legal dispute while ensuring the cessation of use of the phrase “Al Jazeera 12,” which was at the center of the lawsuit. Tzipori, meanwhile, avoided a lengthy legal battle and agreed to comply with the terms of the approved agreement, which was given the force of a court ruling.