Yair Golan Files 2.5M Shekel Defamation Lawsuit Against Sara Netanyahu
Democrats leader Yair Golan filed a 2.55 million shekel defamation lawsuit against Sara Netanyahu following her remarks on Channel 14 implying he had prior knowledge of the October 7 attacks.
Yair Golan, leader of the "Democrats" party and a retired major general, filed a defamation and tort lawsuit Thursday at the Central District Court in Lod against Prime Minister's wife Sara Netanyahu, demanding 2.55 million shekels in damages. The legal action follows remarks made by Sara Netanyahu during an interview with Channel 14, in which she suggested that Golan had prior knowledge of the October 7 Hamas terror attacks.
The lawsuit, filed through attorneys Giora Erdinast, Almog Gil-Or, and Yarden Shohat of the EBN law firm, was initiated after Netanyahu refused to apologize or retract her statements. According to the legal filing, these conspiracy theories were fabricated by individuals attempting to evade responsibility for the historic disaster, aiming to incite against Golan and tarnish his reputation as someone who risked his life during his military service and rushed to the Gaza envelope on October 7, 2023, to rescue civilians.
Security Threats and Premeditation
The lawsuit reveals that following the Channel 14 broadcast, intelligence agencies issued concrete warnings regarding plots against Golan, alongside a report indicating a 450% surge in online incitement. The heightened threat level forced an extensive upgrade of his private security arrangements ahead of the upcoming elections. Furthermore, the filing notes that a Netanyahu advisor reviewed the interview prior to transmission, demonstrating premeditation.
In a landmark legal move, the lawsuit goes beyond standard defamation claims, demanding civil compensation for the criminal offense of incitement to violence under Article 144 of the Penal Code. Golan argues that the Prime Minister's wife crossed the criminal threshold by encouraging violence and breaching statutory duties, requesting double statutory damages without proof of loss for each publication.
Political Reactions and Defense
In a joint statement, Golan and his legal team characterized the suit as a civil indictment by an entire political camp against a government that has lost all restraint. "For years, the Netanyahu family and its proxies have branded anyone daring to criticize them as traitors," the statement read. Golan firmly rejected the allegations, noting he woke up to sirens like all Israelis and rushed to the fire, rescuing six festival-goers from the Nova music party hiding in the bushes.
Attorney Giora Erdinast emphasized the severe danger posed by such rhetoric, drawing parallels to the volatile political climate preceding the 1995 assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. Erdinast stated that any reasonable listener understands the heavy implication of the remarks, which effectively constitute incitement putting Golan in tangible physical danger.
In recent media interviews, Golan reiterated that these attacks are part of a systematic "poison machine" orchestrated by the leadership to distort reality and deflect accountability as political pressure mounts.
