Minister Nir Barkat has activated a NIS 2 million personal fund to help citizens pursue defamation lawsuits against Channel 12, accompanied by a national billboard campaign, after his own NIS 12 million suit and following a court acquittal of journalist Eli Tzipori in a related case.
Minister Nir Barkat went live on Thursday with the 'Defamation Fund 12' website (diba12.org.il) and a nationwide billboard campaign, soliciting defamation claims from citizens and IDF soldiers who say they were harmed by Channel 12. The fund, financed by Barkat personally with NIS 2 million, aims to remove what he called a 'fear barrier' to legal action. The desk first reported the campaign at 11:51 Jerusalem and updated the story at 14:36 Jerusalem, confirming the launch of the website and the call for applications.
This escalation follows a months-long legal saga. On June 17 (Wed 12:24 Jerusalem), The Zioneer reported that Barkat established the fund, chaired by Prof. Moshe Cohen-Elia, to counter a Channel 12 lawsuit against him. Days earlier, on June 11, journalist Eli Tzipori settled a defamation suit with Channel 12 (Thu 15:14 Jerusalem) and was later acquitted in a related case (Thu 22:44 Jerusalem). On June 18 (Thu 20:09 Jerusalem), Tzipori publicly thanked Barkat's fund for covering his legal fees. The fund's first real-world test came with Tzipori's case, which was covered by multiple newsrooms. On June 22 (Mon 21:18 Jerusalem), Barkat organized a collective defamation suit by government ministers over a funeral report, and on June 25 (Thu 22:52 Jerusalem), eight ministers sent a warning letter to Channel 12. On July 1 (Wed 11:31 Jerusalem), Barkat's own NIS 12 million defamation suit against the network was dismissed, as reported by Israeli media.
As The Zioneer reported on June 17, the fund is a private initiative, not a government body, and is part of a broader political battle over media criticism and legal intimidation. The campaign includes outdoor billboards and a national ad push, signaling a significant escalation in the public dispute between a sitting minister and Israel's largest commercial broadcaster.
What remains unclear is the fund's legal impact. The fund has solicited applications, but no new lawsuits have been publicly reported. The success of the campaign in generating defamation claims, and whether the NIS 2 million budget will be sufficient, are open questions. Additionally, the dismissal of Barkat's own suit raises questions about the viability of similar claims.
2 developments
- DevelopingMinister Nir Barkat launches defamation fund to counter Channel 12 lawsuit
- StrongMinister Nir Barkat announces defamation warning letter to Channel 12 signed by eight ministers
- DevelopingEli Tzipori thanks Barkat's defamation fund after Channel 12 acquittal
- DevelopingCourt dismisses Minister Nir Barkat's defamation suit against Channel 12
Source and signal
- Internal intake