Erik Shitelman files lawsuit against Sport 5, Nadav Tzenziper and Raz Zehavi
Rapid founder and CEO Erik Shitelman is fighting for the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club and demands an apology after a defamatory segment on Sport 5, a channel controlled by his rivals, the Recanati family. He is suing for 640,000 shekels from each party, totaling 1.8 million shekels, and promises to donate the proceeds to sports fans and IDF soldiers.
Erik Shitelman is going to battle. The founder of Rapid, the official sponsor of the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club, is in a conflict with the Recanati family over the team's shares, and this battle has reached Sport 5, which is controlled by the Recanati family.
Following a segment broadcast on Sport 5 last Thursday and the unusual statements by presenters Nadav Tzenziper and Raz Zehavi against him, Shitelman decided not to remain silent and filed a warning letter before a lawsuit against both Sport 5 and the presenters.
In the segment, Tzenziper and Zehavi attacked Shitelman, stating that "the sponsor continues to bark, smear and slander" before the team's owners—the Recanati family and management. Shitelman detailed his complaints: "No proper disclosure was given to viewers that the Recanati family, which has substantial interests in the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club, is also the owner of Sport 5. This is material information that any reasonable viewer is entitled to know, especially when a discussion is broadcast that directly concerns a body in which the channel's owners have a personal and economic interest.
"The broadcast platform was apparently used to promote the private interests of the channel's owners within the framework of the disputes concerning the club, instead of maintaining independent, balanced, and objective journalistic coverage. At the very least, this creates a serious appearance of a conflict of interest and harms public trust in the independence of the broadcasts."
Regarding the broadcast itself, he stated: "During the broadcast, offensive and blunt statements were made against me, using language that is inappropriate and does not meet the standards expected of a national media outlet. I was not given any opportunity to respond to the claims made against me, despite the fact that these are personal claims and harsh criticism. Thereby, fundamental principles of journalistic fairness, balance, and the right of reply were violated."
According to him: "This is not just an isolated incident. For a long time, the door has been closed to me to present my position to the viewers of Sport 5, which is the most influential sports media outlet in Israel, particularly regarding Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball—the most covered and beloved club in the country."
Shitelman sent a warning letter to Sport 5 and presenters Nadav Tzenziper and Raz Zehavi, demanding 640,000 shekels from each. He wrote on his X account: "Following the horror show on the Recanati channel ('the North Korea of sports') on Thursday, and after they damaged my good name and slandered me, warning letters were filed. Half of the money will be donated to Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball and football fans for cheering equipment, and half to IDF soldiers."
In the letters filed by attorney Itay Graydi, it is noted that the content broadcast on Sport 5 undergoes approval by editors, strengthening the claim that the company is intentionally harming his client's reputation by publishing false statements.
The warning letter details the segment, which lasted over 25 minutes, during which the presenters used terms such as "shut your mouth," "low-level human being," "fifth column," "disgrace of a human being," and "dangerous person."
Shitelman demands that Sport 5 pay 640,000 shekels by the 11th of the month as financial compensation and remove the segment from all platforms. Furthermore, he demands that Sport 5 and the presenters publish an apology in a pre-agreed format. If the demand is not met, Shitelman intends to file a lawsuit in which a higher amount may be set.
