The chair of the Democrats party, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Golan, filed a 2.55 million NIS defamation and torts lawsuit on Thursday against Sara Netanyahu, the wife of the Prime Minister. The lawsuit, filed by attorneys Giora Erdinast, Almog Gil-Or, and Yarden Shohat of the EBN firm, concerns remarks made in an interview given by Mrs. Netanyahu to Channel 14, in which she allegedly implied treason by Golan on the morning of October 7.
The complaint alleges that Mrs. Netanyahu propagated false and baseless conspiracy theories which, according to the plaintiff, were intended to incite against him and deflect attention from responsibility for the October 7 disaster. Golan claims the publications crossed the criminal threshold of encouraging violence and breaching a statutory duty intended to protect his personal safety. According to Golan, the Prime Minister’s wife's remarks led to a significant increase in incitement against him on social media and even triggered security warnings from intelligence officials, requiring an increase in his private security arrangements.
Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that an advisor to the Netanyahus was present during the pre-taped interview, which the plaintiffs argue suggests premeditation. Yair Golan stated that the goal of the lawsuit is not only to protect his reputation but also to serve as a civil action against patterns of behavior that attempt to smear citizens and combatants who stepped up to assist during the disaster. As part of the legal proceedings, Golan is requesting that the court award double damages without proof of harm for each publication due to what is defined as malicious intent and premeditation.
Conversely, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously addressed the claims of "treason," dismissing them by stating that the events were a failure rather than treason, and noting that his wife did not explicitly state that it was treason. Additionally, Channel 13 news reporter Baruch Kra reported that prior to filing the lawsuit, a warning letter was sent demanding that Mrs. Netanyahu publish a public apology and donate financial compensation to the Nova party survivors, a demand that has not yet been met.
The claims presented in the lawsuit have not yet been adjudicated in court and remain civil allegations. The issue has sparked broad public debate, with other public figures, including former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, speaking out sharply against discourse regarding treason conspiracies, which they claim harms public trust in security forces and national resilience.