Judge Rules in Favor of Raviv Drucker, Dismissing Kobi Peretz's Defamation Suit

On July 14, 2026, Judge Y. Hasdiel dismissed a high-profile defamation lawsuit filed by Israeli singer Kobi Peretz against journalist Raviv Drucker. The court ruled that Drucker's satirical monologue, which included sharp criticism and used Peretz's own words, was protected free speech and did not constitute defamation. The judge compared the case to the landmark "Hertzikowitz" ruling, describing it as a guiding precedent for Israeli satire, emphasizing that Drucker's use of irony, imitation, and mirroring was clearly understood as non-literal by a reasonable person.

Judge Hasdiel also upheld Drucker's defense of "truth in publication" regarding the harsh terms "convicted criminal and tax evader," noting that Peretz had indeed been legally convicted and sentenced to prison for tax offenses. This factual basis invalidated Peretz's claim of legal wrongdoing. The ruling comes amid Peretz's recent personal transformation towards religious observance and public acts of charity, including raising nearly two million shekels to distribute tefillin to soldiers and fulfilling religious vows.

Despite losing the case, Peretz was ordered to pay only 20,000 shekels in court costs, a sum considered unusually low given the lawsuit's nature and outcome. This judgment adds to a series of Israeli legal decisions reinforcing the boundaries of free expression and satire in public criticism of public figures.