Yair Golan Threatens Lawsuit Against Sara Netanyahu Over Interview Remarks

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democratic Party, has sent a legal warning to Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, threatening a defamation lawsuit of at least 2.5 million shekels. The action follows remarks Netanyahu made about Golan during a Channel 14 interview.

Golan's party stated that he demands a public apology within 24 hours and a financial settlement, which would be donated entirely to survivors of the Nova music festival massacre. If these demands are not met, Golan intends to file a lawsuit for defamation. The legal notice was sent by attorneys from the EBN law firm.

The Democratic Party claims Netanyahu's interview statements were "defamatory, slanderous, and false," echoing conspiracy theories about Golan's actions on the morning of the October 7th Hamas attack. According to Golan's account, detailed in the legal letter, he left his home that morning, armed himself at the Home Front Command, and proceeded to the Gaza border area, where he assisted in rescuing six young people who had fled the Nova festival. His lawyers argue that Netanyahu's remarks aimed to portray him as a "collaborator in treason" and damage his reputation ahead of elections.

The Likud party vehemently rejected Golan's claims, calling his actions a "chauvinistic, bullying, and violent display." The party asserted that Netanyahu did not claim a conspiracy regarding October 7th, but rather the "exact opposite." The Likud suggested Golan's lawsuit is an attempt to divert attention from issues discussed in Netanyahu's interview and accused Golan of leading aggressive protests against her. They further labeled Golan a "radical leftist" and criticized his past statements against the IDF and his alleged role in promoting draft refusal.

In her interview, Sara Netanyahu had questioned how Golan arrived at the scene so early on October 7th, contrasting it with the Prime Minister's delayed notification. She later qualified her remarks, stating she did not subscribe to theories about the massacre and lacked information to determine the exact events.