Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu filed a defamation lawsuit on Wednesday against protest activist Gonen Ben Itzhak and journalists Ben Caspit and Uri Misgav.
The lawsuit comes after Ben Itzhak, the primary defendant, and Misgav published claims regarding the prime minister's health. Ben Itzhak claimed that Netanyahu is suffering from pancreatic cancer, while Misgav made more general assertions about his health condition, stating that he is in poor health, which affects his functioning.
Some three weeks ago, Ben Itzhak posted on his X account, claiming to have been informed of the prime minister's medical condition: "Following your visit last night to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, I received information that you were treated for pancreatic cancer. I wish you good health, but it is appropriate for the man who leads the system to courageously face the public and disclose his true condition. You are sending our children to war, and if you are indeed undergoing oncological treatment, there are grave implications. Your health, in this sense, is not a private or personal matter. Reveal the truth about your condition to the public now."
Netanyahu accuses Misgav of making false insinuations about his health condition. Throughout the war period, Misgav published a series of posts related to Netanyahu's health, including: "Grandpa, why is your complexion yellowish-greenish, and your eyes watery? You're speaking unusually fast and not at a natural pace – what medications are you taking?" Additionally, Misgav claimed that Netanyahu was secretly treated for hours at the Mayanei HaYeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak.
Regarding Caspit, Netanyahu accuses the journalist of fabricating a story about a meeting between him and reserve Major General Amiram Levin, from which Levin allegedly emerged horrified and shaken, according to Caspit's account.
The lawsuit demands half a million shekels ($135 USD) in damages from the defendants. It also seeks court orders prohibiting the dissemination of false claims and compelling the defendants to publish a retraction of their statements.
