כוחות צה"ל פועלים בג'נין
כוחות צה"ל פועלים בג'ניןצילום: דו"צ

Journalist Benny Teitelbaum reports that the Lod District Court has banned the screening of the film "Jenin Jenin" due to its being defamatory to the IDF, following a lawsuit filed by Lt. Col. (Res.) Nissim Magnaji against the Arab-Israeli director Muhammad Bakri.

Six years ago, Magnaji filed a defamation lawsuit for NIS 2.6 million, alleging that Bakri was both negligent and defamatory in his depiction of the Battle of Jenin as part of Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, in which 23 fighters were killed.

The ruling states that Bakri will pay compensation in the amount of NIS 175,000 as well as legal expenses in the amount of NIS 50,000.

Two months ago, the Attorney General, Dr. Avichai Mandelblit, sent a letter to the chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Zvi Hauser, in which he rejected the committee's demand to act to ban the screening of "Jenin Jenin".

A reply to the AG read, "It is the committee's position is that this film is pure propaganda, and should be banned from Israel's screens."

The AG emphasized his appreciation for Lt. Col. Magnaji's legal efforts, and said his offer to appear in court on the matter was not an empty one, but that the binding decision in this matter must remain that of the Supreme Court's, which has ruled to allow the film.

The Supreme Court has rejected repeated requests for further deliberations on the topic, leaving its decision to permit the film's screening as the binding one for all lower courts.