The Tel Aviv District Court has denied chef Tom Aviv's request to stay the execution of a default judgment, upholding the order to compensate modeling agent Shai Avital 360,000 NIS for defamation. The legal proceedings commenced in November 2025, when Avital filed a libel lawsuit against Aviv following the publication of a social media video containing various allegations. A default judgment was issued last February because Aviv failed to file a statement of defense on time, ordering him to pay the full claim amount plus costs.
In August, the Magistrate's Court ruled that the judgment would be cancelled conditional upon the payment of 10,000 NIS in costs by September 24. Instead of making the payment on time, Aviv filed a request for leave to appeal on the final day. Counsel for Avital petitioned the court to reinstate the original judgment and resume proceedings. Aviv submitted an urgent request for a stay of execution, claiming that the Sukkot holiday caused a technical delay in payment.
Judge Yehezkel Eliahu dismissed the request summarily, without requiring a response, noting that the request was filed without a proper affidavit and that appellate courts generally do not interfere with cost-related decisions, particularly when the chances of success on appeal are low. Following this decision, the original judgment has been fully reinstated. Aviv is ordered to pay Avital 360,000 NIS, plus interest and linkage differentials, along with attorney fees of 21,977 NIS plus VAT. Concurrently, the enforcement proceedings initiated following the judgment have resumed full activity to collect the funds.