Minister Nir Barkat is assembling a group defamation lawsuit against Channel 12 and its Ushpizin weekend program, over what he calls a false report that government ministers chose not to attend the funeral of fallen Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon. Several ministers have already joined, and a majority of the cabinet is expected to participate, according to Israeli media.
Minister Nir Barkat is organizing a collective defamation lawsuit by Israeli government ministers against Channel 12 and its Friday-night magazine program 'Ushpizin', according to reports. The suit stems from a broadcast that reportedly claimed cabinet ministers refused to attend the funeral of fallen Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon. Barkat says the report was false; family members have also said they requested no official representation at the service. Several ministers have already signed on, and the initiative is expected to draw a majority of the cabinet. The move marks a legal escalation in the ongoing friction between right-wing ministers and the major news network.
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