Democrats party chairman Yair Golan has filed a 2.5 million shekel lawsuit against Sara Netanyahu over remarks she made during an interview with Channel 14, including a reference to the “inside betrayal” conspiracy theory.
The lawsuit was filed after Netanyahu declined to apologize for her comments.
During the interview, Netanyahu questioned how Golan had been dressed and prepared on the morning of October 7, while, according to her remarks, the prime minister still did not know what was happening.
Following the interview, the Democrats party accused Netanyahu of spreading conspiracy theories against Golan.
Golan now claims in his lawsuit that Netanyahu’s remarks went beyond defamation and constituted incitement to violence.
“These conspiracy theories, which were not created on their own but came from the malicious minds of those who sought to evade responsibility for the terrible disaster, are false and absurd,” the lawsuit states.
“Their purpose is to incite against the plaintiff and thereby harm his dignity and reputation—despite the fact that he risked his life throughout his years of security service and continued to do so on October 7, 2023, when he traveled to the Gaza border communities to assist and rescue civilians,” it adds.
According to the lawsuit, following the interview, Golan received concrete warnings from intelligence officials about an alleged intention to harm him. The suit further claims that a report documented a 450 percent increase in incitement against him online.
Golan claims that because of the increased threats, he was forced to significantly expand and reinforce his private security arrangements ahead of the elections.
The lawsuit also alleges that a Netanyahu adviser watched the interview before it aired, which Golan claims demonstrates “advance planning to authorize his blood.”
In addition to relying on Israel’s defamation law, Golan is seeking what he describes as unprecedented civil compensation for violating the criminal prohibition against incitement to violence.
He is asking the court to determine that Netanyahu’s remarks crossed the criminal threshold of encouraging acts of violence and violated a statutory duty intended to protect his personal safety.
Because of what he describes as advance planning and malicious intent, Golan is also seeking double compensation without having to prove actual damages.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
