Court Orders Fanny Michaeli to Pay Shikma Bresler for Defamation Over Hamas Accusations

The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court ruled in favor of Shikma Bresler in a defamation lawsuit against Fanny Michaeli, ordering Michaeli to pay 100,000 shekels in damages, plus legal fees of 35,000 shekels and additional expenses of 5,500 shekels. The case stemmed from Michaeli's repeated social media posts on Facebook and Twitter after the October 7 massacre, in which she accused Bresler of betrayal, aiding Hamas, and alleged involvement in the attacks.

Judge Dorit Feinstein determined that Michaeli's statements constituted severe defamation, rejecting her claims that the remarks were mere insults or trivial. The court found the accusations to be serious, sustained over time, and not isolated incidents. Michaeli also failed to prove the truth of her allegations or demonstrate good faith, as she could not provide evidence or a basis for her claims during testimony.

The court dismissed Michaeli's defense that the lawsuit was a strategic attempt to silence criticism, emphasizing the gravity and extent of the defamatory content. Michaeli was ordered to remove all related posts from her social media accounts and to publish a notice within 30 days acknowledging that her statements about Bresler between October 8 and November 3, 2023, were defamatory and false. The court treated the multiple posts as a single publication for compensation purposes but awarded the maximum statutory damages due to the severity and volume of the defamation.