Jerusalem Court Rejects MK Rotman's Defamation Suit Against Channel 12

The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Member of Knesset Simcha Rothman against journalist Guy Peleg, Channel 12 CEO Avi Weiss, and the broadcasting companies Keshet and Channel 12. Rothman had sought over one million shekels in damages following a report attributing to him a statement comparing the blood of the Hallel and Yigal Yaniv brothers, murdered in Hawara, to victims of the October 7 attacks. Rothman denied ever making this statement.

Deputy President of the Magistrate's Court, Judge Oren Silverman, ruled that although the attributed remarks were defamatory due to their severity, the defendants successfully proved the "truth in publication" defense. The court found that the statement was indeed made by Rothman during a closed discussion and that the publication addressed a significant public interest.

The ruling relied partly on testimonies from three legal officials from the Ministry of Justice who attended the meeting. They testified that Rothman expressed the statement, albeit without intending the implied meaning, and that he immediately clarified and retracted the wording. The judge found their testimonies consistent, credible, and based on personal recollection, favoring them over Rothman's version.