Jerusalem Court Rejects MK Simcha Rothman's Defamation Suit Against Journalist Guy Peleg

The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Member of Knesset Simcha Rothman against journalist Guy Peleg, CEO of Channel 12 News Avi Weiss, Channel 12 News, Keshet Broadcasting, and four other defendants. Rothman sought over one million shekels in damages, claiming he never made a statement attributed to him that "the blood of the Hallel and Yagel brothers, murdered in Hawara, is redder than the blood of those killed on October 7." He argued the claim was false and defamatory, demanding removal of the publications and a public apology.

The defendants argued the report was based on a closed discussion with representatives from the Justice Ministry and Shin Bet, supported by meeting minutes and testimony from attendees. They also stated they sought Rothman's response before publishing and invoked the legal defense of truth in publication. Judge Oren Silverman ruled that while the statement attributed to Rothman constituted defamation, the defendants proved the truth of the publication through evidence, including testimonies from three Justice Ministry officials present at the meeting and official records.

The court emphasized the public interest in reporting statements made by a public official in his official capacity. The lawsuit was rejected against all defendants, including those who posted on social media, as some posts were deemed either non-defamatory or legitimate opinion. Rothman was not ordered to pay court costs, as the judge recognized the case involved a significant public dispute and found the suit was not baseless enough to warrant costs. However, the judge criticized Rothman’s conduct during the trial, noting evasive testimony, failure to present supporting witnesses, and delayed disclosure of a key recording with the legal advisor of the Constitution Committee, which undermined his credibility.

The court concluded that Rothman’s outright denial without substantive explanation strengthened the justification and truthfulness of the defendants’ publication.