Jerusalem Court Orders Haredi Newspaper HaModia to Pay Damages Over Defamatory Article

A local dispute in Ma'ale Amos over kindergarten building allocations between Lithuanian and Hasidic communities led to a defamation ruling against the Haredi newspaper HaModia. Four residents named in a September 2024 article were portrayed with skepticism regarding their Haredi identity and status as "Torah scholars," which they claimed harmed their reputations. The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court accepted their defamation suit, ruling that the newspaper could have reported on the conflict without casting doubt on their religious affiliation.

The dispute involved a state-religious kindergarten serving Lithuanian children operating from a portable structure lacking a secure room, while a Hasidic girls' kindergarten, conducted in Yiddish and recognized as an unofficial institution, received a permanent building. This disparity sparked protests from Lithuanian community members, including calls to oppose the Hasidic kindergarten's licensing and building compliance.

HaModia's article, titled "Shock in the Haredi Community in Ma'ale Amos," used quotation marks around "Haredi" and referred to the plaintiffs as "so-called Torah scholars." The four plaintiffs, Tzvi Olesker, Yehonatan Glasner, Yitzhak Glazer, and Aryeh Kahan, sought 400,000 shekels in damages. Judge Dorit Feinstein ruled that the article's tone was harsh and disrespectful, focusing unfairly on the individuals rather than the underlying resource allocation issues.

The court rejected HaModia's defense of truth and its claim of protection under the Defamation Prohibition Law. It emphasized that the dispute could have been covered without questioning the plaintiffs' religious identity. The ruling criticized the article for lacking balanced factual context and for unnecessarily including defamatory content. Ultimately, HaModia was ordered to pay a total of 190,000 shekels in damages, 70,000 to one plaintiff and 40,000 each to the other three, plus 35,000 shekels in attorney fees and 5,000 shekels in court costs.

This case highlights the legal boundaries of reporting on intra-community conflicts and the protection of individual reputations within Israel's Haredi society.