The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court ruled Friday that journalist Barak Seri must pay NIS 18,000 to Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar for defamation, after Seri falsely claimed in three publications that Sa'ar took a private trip to London at public expense. The court rejected Seri's defenses of truth in publication and good faith, noting that Sa'ar had proven he paid all travel and lodging costs himself.
The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court, presided over by Judge Ro'i Shahar, ruled Friday that journalist Barak Seri must pay NIS 18,000 in damages to Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar for defamation. Seri had published three times—on Twitter, Channel 12, and Radio Without Pause—that Sa'ar and his wife took a private vacation to London at public expense. The court found that Sa'ar had paid for all travel and lodging costs personally, and rejected Seri's defenses of truth in publication and good faith. The ruling was issued today, with the court noting that Seri's claims were not protected under the Defamation Law. The case is separate from other recent defamation suits involving Israeli politicians and media figures that have been reported in recent months.
2 developments
- StrongIsraeli court rules for former IDF general in libel case, awards NIS 160,000
- DevelopingCourt dismisses Minister Nir Barkat's defamation suit against Channel 12
- DevelopingIsraeli transport minister accrued over $1.4M in flights, luxury hotels since Jan 2023
- DevelopingDeputy FM Haskel's resignation letter accuses Sa'ar of lying: 'You lied to the people of Israel'
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