Sara Netanyahu Drops Defamation Lawsuit Against TV Channels Over Nasrallah Leak
Sara Netanyahu dropped her defamation lawsuit against an Israeli news portal, Kan 11, and journalist Omri Maniv over a leaked Nasrallah assassination report. A Telegram channel manager remains the sole defendant. Netanyahu denies all security leak allegations.
In a surprise twist at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, Prime Minister's wife Sara Netanyahu agreed on Sunday to drop a 500,000 shekel defamation lawsuit against an Israeli news portal News, Keshet Broadcasting, the Kan 11 public broadcaster, and journalist Omri Maniv.
The lawsuit was originally filed following reports attributing to Netanyahu the leak of sensitive security information regarding the planned assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah before the operation took place. Under the agreement reached between the parties, the proceedings against the media outlets will be closed, and in return, the media organizations will publish the court ruling in the same format and channels where the disputed reports were broadcast.
Despite withdrawing from the confrontation with the television networks, the legal battle is not entirely over. The sole remaining defendant in the case is Udi Mizrahi, manager of the "Hadashot BaZman" Telegram channel, who refuses to retract his statements and insists on continuing to defend his version in court.
At the center of the case is the claim that information about the assassination was passed from the Prime Minister's wife to her friend Vered Gross, and from there onward. As reported by local media, Mizrahi described during the hearing how the information transfer mechanism allegedly operated: "Every time we wanted to get information, we would ask the grandson and he would ask the grandmother and she would ask Netanyahu."
Sara Netanyahu, who was present in the courtroom, reacted with amusement to the remarks. Mizrahi was also quoted testifying about the indirect connection: "The grandmother was talkative, I did not speak with her directly, but she is a charming and reliable woman. At a certain point, I realized it was dangerous, but I didn't want to expose her or hurt her." According to Mizrahi, the report he posted stating that "Nasrallah's days are numbered" was published three days before the assassination.
Netanyahu, on the other hand, dismisses these claims outright. In an affidavit of document disclosure submitted on her behalf, she emphasized that her relationship with Gross is limited to sporadic conversations and meetings, and has never revolved around operational activities, attacks in Iran, or targeted assassinations. "I do not participate in security discussions and I have no access to security information," Netanyahu declared, having announced in advance that she would not summon witnesses on her behalf.
The Court's Proposal and Broader Legal Context
The twist that paved the way for ending the proceedings against the TV channels occurred after Judge Avigdor Winshall approached Netanyahu's attorney, Uriel Khor Nizri, and representatives of the broadcasting bodies, suggesting they reach an agreement: "The general context raises questions of fairness, but you can conclude the case by agreement." The parties accepted the proposal, narrowing the case to a targeted proceeding against the Telegram channel manager alone.
This current development takes place against the backdrop of additional legal fronts involving the Prime Minister's wife. Just recently, another judicial ruling went against her when the court rejected her request to dismiss a libel suit filed against her by former MK Yair Golan. That ruling determined that her claims were "completely baseless," and she was even ordered to pay 2,000 shekels in legal costs.
