Guy Peleg
Guy PelegMoshe Shai / Flash 90

Journalist Guy Peleg, who serves as the police reporter for News 2, published an article in which he expressed remorse, saying that he made a mistake when he did not publish the name of the woman who is suing the Prime Minister's wife.

"I was wrong when I didn't publish the name of Shira Raban, who sued the Prime Minister's wife. The media did not publish her name and was busy with the question of whether Netanyahu's associates acted properly when they published her name. The media should have published her name immediately," Peleg writes.

He adds that "anyone who makes harsh claims against another person and gives them public expression has to stand behind these claims. With his or her full name. Yediot Ahronot is another matter: A source comes, tells a story, presents conditions, and asks not to publish his name - legitimate. But what's the difference between this and other media? Hypocrisy."

Peleg explains:"Every day the media send senior lawyers to publish the names of the state's witnesses. That's how many media outlets used to and continue to demand publication of the name of the state's witness against attorney Ronel Fisher.This was what many media outlets did when they came to the Supreme Court demanding that the name of the state witness be disclosed in the Holyland case [against Ehud Olmert].This is how media outlets are currently working to demand that the name of the state witness against Benny Steinmetz be revealed.All on the grounds of 'the public's right to know.'"

"In public discourse it's important that we know who the witnesses are and who the plaintiffs are. Such publication will cause a flood of stories that may be relevant to the report. Why is Shira Raban being treated as if she were, G-d forbid, a victim of a sexual offense or a minor? In their case, the law prohibits publication." Peleg wondered.