Netanyahu Sues Israeli Media for NIS 2.6 Million: Before and After October 7

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu filed a NIS 2.6 million (approximately $850,000) defamation lawsuit on September 29, 2026, against three major israeli media organizations and six journalists over reports alleging he received advance warnings from Arab officials about the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The lawsuit, addressed to the Jerusalem District Court, names Haaretz, Yedioth Ahronot, and Channel 12 as defendants, along with journalists Shlomi Eldar, Ruth Yuval, Uri Misgav, Nadav Eyal, Barak Ravid, and former Ynet journalist Attila Somfalvi. The legal action arrives 34 days before israel's national election and marks a sharp escalation in Netanyahu's confrontation with the Israeli press.

The Allegations That Sparked the Lawsuit

The suit centers on two disputed accounts: that United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu in late September 2023 that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation, and that then-Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel personally warned him shortly before the attack. The first account was published by Haaretz on September 8 as part of an investigation by Eldar and Yuval for their book, Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment, reporting that bin Zayed spoke with Netanyahu for approximately 45 minutes after receiving a message that Sinwar was preparing a major

Further reading: Hebrew Level for Aliyah Work: What Changed Since 2020 — AliyaToday.

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