Ben Gvir Threatens Major Defamation Lawsuit Against ynet Over West Bank Report
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir plans to file a major defamation lawsuit against ynet and a journalist over disputed coverage of a West Bank incident.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is threatening a multi-million-shekel defamation lawsuit against the ynet news portal and journalist Liran Tamari. According to a report broadcast on Channel 14 by journalist Eli Aviv, the minister plans to sue for over one million shekels.
The background for the threatened lawsuit stems from a ynet report regarding a confrontation between civilians and police officers in the West Bank settlement of Mitzpe Yeriho, an escalating incident that resulted in several injuries. According to Aviv, a ynet push notification attempted to place the blame on Minister Ben Gvir, claiming he arrived at the scene and ignored the residents.
The report alleged that Ben Gvir represented the residents during the event, berating and confronting police officers over their actions. Channel 14 characterized the report as part of an ongoing attempt to foment friction between the police, the minister, and residents of the West Bank.
Minister Ben Gvir maintains that the report is entirely fabricated and intends to pursue legal action to clear his name. A central claim in the upcoming lawsuit is that the minister was not even present at the scene during the incident.
This development echoes recent legal actions taken by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who filed a 2.6 million shekel defamation lawsuit in the Jerusalem District Court against several media outlets and journalists, including Haaretz, Yedioth Ahronoth, ynet, Channel 12, and various prominent reporters.
