Journalist Shlomi Eldar Sues Minister Amichai Chikli for Defamation
Journalist Shlomi Eldar sued Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli for 160,000 shekels over a social media post labeling him a close associate of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Prominent Israeli journalist Shlomi Eldar has filed a 160,000 shekel defamation lawsuit at the Herzliya Magistrate's Court against Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli.
The legal action stems from a post published by Chikli on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, in which he labeled Eldar as a "close associate of Ismail Haniyeh."
The dispute originates from a report by Eldar claiming that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a prior warning from the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates ahead of the October 7, 2023 terror attacks. Netanyahu vehemently denied the report and has himself filed a defamation suit against the journalist. The lawsuit against Chikli argues that the minister attempted to deflect from the core facts by attacking Eldar's professional identity and falsely alleging a personal bond with the late Hamas leader.
Professional Journalism Versus Defamation
The court filing emphasizes that while Eldar has indeed interviewed Haniyeh in the past, it was conducted strictly within the framework of professional journalism. According to the plaintiff, Minister Chikli took a routine journalistic endeavor, stripped it of its context, and entirely distorted it to portray Eldar as maintaining personal ties with a terrorist mastermind, thereby undermining his credibility.
Minister Chikli has not yet submitted his statement of defense to the court. However, given that Chikli also serves as a member of the Knesset and is protected by parliamentary immunity, the lawsuit may ultimately face hurdles preventing a standard judicial review.
