Photographer Mai Sabir Sues Israeli Singer Eyal Golan for Half a Million Shekels Over Unauthorized Photo Use

Photographer Mai Sabir has filed a lawsuit seeking approximately 500,000 shekels against Israeli singer Eyal Golan and his production company, Liam Productions. The suit alleges a serious breach of copyright due to the commercial use of her photographs without prior approval and contrary to agreements made between the parties. The collaboration began about six years ago when Golan's team hired Sabir's photography services specifically for promotional use on the official poster of his major concert at Bloomfield Stadium.

According to the complaint, Sabir later discovered that her photos were reused independently by Golan's production company for entirely different commercial purposes. The images became the central visual design for the covers of two successful singles: Golan's duet with Lior Narkis titled "Mesiba Im Papion" and the hit "Vay Kachol." Sabir emphasizes that this secondary use occurred without her knowledge, consent, proper credit, or adequate financial compensation.

This lawsuit adds to a series of recent legal disputes involving Golan. Previously, he sued Big Brother contestant Tal Tito for 200,000 shekels over critical tweets but later withdrew the claim after an apology. Additionally, following the cancellation of his Bloomfield performances due to Home Front Command directives, Golan donated kosher catering prepared for his production staff to IDF soldiers, an act that received public attention.

Sabir's case highlights significant issues regarding the protection of visual artists' copyrights in Israel. She aims to send a clear message that commercial use of professional photographs requires explicit creator consent, proper attribution, and fair financial remuneration.