A Tel Aviv court ruled in favor of the Netanyahu family Monday, ordering former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to pay the Netanyahus damages of 97,500 shekels for defamation.
Judge Amit Yair of the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court handed down the ruling Monday morning, in a defamation lawsuit brought by the Netanyahu family after Olmert publicly claimed that Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife Sara, and their son, Yair, suffer from “incurable mental illness” and should have been hospitalized as a result.
The lawsuit was filed in May 2021, with the Netanyahus demanding 837,000 shekels ($256,360) in damages.
Olmert made the claims during an interview with Democracy TV, saying: “I had heard recordings of the family members, and I consulted with experts who know them and who testified about behaviors that fall under the category of what is popularly called abnormal insane behavior.”
In his ruling Monday, Judge Yair found that Olmert’s comments against the Netanyahu family strayed beyond the protection of free speech or political criticism, since he appeared to ascribe to the Netanyahu family a medical condition, despite having no basis to make such a claim.
"Mr. Olmert attributed mental illness to them, and there is no doubt that even today and despite the efforts of professionals to rectify the situation, those dealing with mental illnesses have to deal with stigmas,” the judge wrote.
Under the ruling, Olmert will be required to pay 97,500 shekels, including 35,000 shekels to cover the family’s legal expenses, 35,000 shekels for defaming Sara Netanyahu, 20,000 shekels for defaming Benjamin Netanyahu, and 7,500 for defaming Yair.
While the court found Olmert did defame the Netanyahu family, Judge Yair awarded far less in damages than the 837,000 shekels the Netanyahus had sought in their lawsuit, noting that Olmert and the Netanyahu family are political figures, and that the thrust of Olmert’s comments to Democracy TV were political.
Yossi Cohen, who represented the Netanyahu family, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the case.
"Yet another false accusation against Prime Minister Netanyahu, his wife, and family, has been shot down.”
"It's good to know that even in today's world, where crazy and ridiculous accusations against the Prime Minister, his wife, and family are seen as somehow permissible, clear lines have been drawn that should put an end to the evil lies of Olmert."
Olmert’s legal defense team said they are weighing an appeal against Monday’s ruling.