Judge Aviyam Barkai of the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court has criticized the conduct Labor Party Chairman Avi Gabbay during a pretrial hearing on the libel suit filed by Member of Knesset Eytan Broshi over a tweet that Gabbay posted in July 2018 following a claim of sexual harassment made against MK Broshi.
In the tweet, Gabbay said he demanded that Broshi leave office, adding, "Sex offenders do not have a place on the street or in the Knesset." Judge Barkai told Gabbay's attorney that it was very difficult for Segev to call Broshi a "sex offender" when he was not convicted of any act. Barkai did not hint at the way the proceedings would end, buthinted to Gabai that it would be good if he reached agreements with Broshi and asked the parties to announce whether they reached an agreement by January 6. In the event that no agreement is reached, the hearing of the evidence will take place in June 2019, after the Knesset elections.