Court Orders Additional Damages to Raviv Drucker in Defamation Appeal
Journalist Raviv Drucker won an additional 105,000 shekels in damages after the District Court dismissed an appeal by media figures over a defamation lawsuit.
Israeli media journalist and anchor Raviv Drucker announced a further legal victory in his defamation lawsuit against media personalities Yaakov Bardugo, Noam Fathi, Yotam Zimri, and the radio stations that broadcasted their shows. According to Drucker, the District Court dismissed their appeal and partially upheld his cross-appeal, ordering the defendants to pay him an additional 105,000 shekels.
With this latest ruling, the total compensation awarded to Drucker, including legal costs, reaches 285,000 shekels. The case dates back to 2021, following radio broadcasts concerning an article written by Drucker about recordings involving Benny Gantz. Bardugo, Fathi, and Zimri alleged that Drucker attempted to pressure Gantz using the information in his possession, claims which Drucker argued were false and distorted his words.
In February 2025, the Magistrate's Court partially ruled in Drucker's favor, finding that the defendants presented a misleading picture to listeners. The court initially ordered the defendants, including Galei Zahal, Radio Kol Israel, and Radio Darom, to pay 150,000 shekels in damages plus 30,000 shekels in legal fees.
In his statement, Drucker also directed criticism at Education Minister Yoav Kisch, alleging that Kisch was a primary driver of the statements that led to the lawsuit. Kisch was not named as a defendant due to parliamentary immunity during the events, but Drucker asserted that two judicial instances have established the falsehood of those statements. Drucker thanked his attorneys, Ori Edelstein and Yonatan Berman, for representing him throughout the proceedings.
