Victory for Channel 14: Journalist Chaim Levinson ordered to pay damages for defamation

Nearly five years after a tweet published by Chaim Levinson against Channel 14, a legal ruling was issued today, resulting in a defeat for the media figure. The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court accepted the defamation lawsuit filed by the channel and ordered Levinson to pay a total sum of 30,000 shekels.

The affair began in June 2021, after the channel announced it would broadcast the visit of then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Ben Gurion Airport. Levinson responded to the post on a social network in a satirical tone, calling the media outlet a "propaganda channel."

This response led the company "Arutz Yehudi Yisraeli Ltd.," which operates Channel 14, to file a lawsuit against him for 141,181 shekels without the need to prove damages. The company argued that the statements were false and intended to harm the channel's professional reputation.

In the verdict, it was determined that Levinson's words exceeded the boundaries of permissible satirical criticism. Judge Aryeh Biton clarified that even when it comes to political and media discourse, which requires granting significant space for criticism, publications do not enjoy immunity from defamation laws.

"The tweet is offensive, misleading, and has real potential for harming the plaintiff's reputation," the court stated.

The court noted that while this was a single post rather than a continuous campaign, its distribution on social media and the resulting exposure were taken into account. Although the original claim was for over 141,000 shekels, the compensation awarded without proof of damage was set at 10,000 shekels. Including legal expenses and attorney's fees, the total amount imposed on Levinson is 30,000 shekels.

According to the ruling, Levinson is required to pay the full amount within 30 days. However, the procedure may still continue, as the court granted him the right to appeal the verdict within 60 days.