Sara Netanyahu Ordered to Pay Legal Fees in Defamation Case

The lawsuit was filed after Netanyahu gave an interview to Channel 14 in which she implied that Golan had prior knowledge of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack. Netanyahu had refused to apologize or retract her statements, leading Golan to file the suit through the EBN law firm. The lawsuit also seeks civil damages for violating a criminal statute against incitement to violence.

Netanyahu argued that she was not responsible for the publication of her remarks, claiming she merely gave a traditional interview and that responsibility for its broadcast and distribution lay with third parties and media outlets like Channel 14. According to Behadrei Haredim, her defense also noted that an advisor to Netanyahu had viewed the interview before it aired.

The judge dismissed Netanyahu's arguments as baseless and artificial, ruling that she gave the interview with full knowledge and consent that her remarks would be broadcast to the public. The court stated that there is no justification for separating the interviewee's publication from the broadcaster's, as they are two sides of the same coin. Golan welcomed the decision, stating it proves that truth will defeat lies and that those who spread false accusations cannot evade accountability.