Israeli Court Reduces Libel Compensation in Liberman vs. Kamisa Defamation Case

The Central District Court in Lod partially upheld Yossi Kamisa's appeal, significantly reducing the compensation he must pay to Avigdor Liberman and the Yisrael Beiteinu party. Kamisa was originally ordered to pay 190,000 shekels to Liberman and 10,000 shekels to the party, but the court lowered the total compensation to 90,000 shekels. However, the court maintained Kamisa's conviction for defamation and his suspended six-month prison sentence.

The case originated from Kamisa's 2022 election campaign statements accusing Liberman of offering him $100,000 to assassinate a police commissioner. Kamisa, a former Israeli police officer and ex-Yisrael Beiteinu activist, also called Liberman corrupt and a crime boss, promising to reveal explosive information. Despite Liberman's public denials, Kamisa repeated his claims in media interviews and even offered to take a polygraph test.

The Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court found Kamisa's allegations baseless and ruled they were made with intent to harm Liberman and his party during a sensitive election period. Kamisa was convicted of defamation and sentenced to a suspended prison term alongside the financial penalties.

In his appeal, Kamisa argued the punishment was excessive, citing his clean record, security contributions, financial hardship, and his son's medical condition. Liberman and his party sought to uphold the verdict and add legal costs against Kamisa. The district court rejected most of Kamisa's claims and affirmed the conviction and suspended sentence, emphasizing the severity and timing of the defamatory statements.

The judges distinguished between criminal and civil compensation, stating the original damages awarded exceeded typical criminal sanctions, justifying the reduction. The court also denied Liberman's request to impose legal costs on Kamisa, as well as Kamisa's appeal regarding costs after a complaint he filed against Liberman was dismissed. The ruling concludes a high-profile legal dispute stemming from the 2022 election, confirming the defamatory nature of Kamisa's claims but significantly lowering the financial penalty.

Summary: The Israeli Central District Court upheld Yossi Kamisa's defamation conviction against Avigdor Liberman but reduced the compensation from 200,000 to 90,000 shekels, maintaining Kamisa's suspended sentence. The case involved false claims Kamisa made during the 2022 election accusing Liberman of criminal conduct.

Points: - The court reduced Kamisa's compensation to Liberman and Yisrael Beiteinu from 200,000 to 90,000 shekels. - Kamisa was convicted of defamation and received a suspended six-month prison sentence. - Kamisa falsely accused Liberman of offering $100,000 to kill a police commissioner during the 2022 election. - The court ruled Kamisa's statements were intentionally harmful and timed to damage Liberman politically. - Appeals to overturn the conviction or impose legal costs on Kamisa were rejected. - The ruling closes a politically charged defamation case from the 2022 election campaign.

Topic: politics israel_relevant: true Entities: {"people": ["Avigdor Liberman", "Yossi Kamisa"], "organizations": ["Yisrael Beiteinu", "Central District Court", "Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court"], "places": ["Lod", "Israel"]}