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Threats over October 7
Israeli Democrats party chair Yair Golan gave Sara Netanyahu 24 hours on Tuesday to apologize for suggesting that he had advance knowledge of Hamas' October 7 attack, threatening to sue the prime minister's wife for 2.5 million shekels if she does not.
“threatening to sue the prime minister's wife for 2.5 million shekels”
Haaretz reported that Golan’s threat followed Sara Netanyahu’s Channel 14 remarks, in which she questioned how Golan had arrived in southern Israel so early that morning and said, “When you are an officer of such a high rank and you claim to have fought on October 7, you were already there early in the morning, dressed and prepared.”
i24NEWS said Golan sent a formal notice on Monday through attorneys Giora Erdinst, Almog Gil-Or and Jordan Shohat of the EBN law firm, alleging that Netanyahu insinuated he may have known in advance about the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
The dispute centers on the timing of Golan’s actions on October 7, with i24NEWS stating that Golan learned of the attack when the first sirens sounded at 6:29 am and then went to the Home Front Command headquarters to obtain an assault rifle before continuing toward the Gaza border area.
Apology demands and replies
i24NEWS reported that Golan demanded Netanyahu issue a “public and unequivocal” apology within 24 hours and asked her to agree to pay compensation that he said would be donated in full to survivors of the Nova music festival.
In the warning letter described by i24NEWS, Golan’s proposed apology says, “I retract the remarks I made during my Channel 14 interview concerning Mr. Yair Golan.”
Israel National News said Golan’s pre-litigation warning letter demanded a public apology within 24 hours or face a NIS 2.5 million lawsuit for “defamation in its most serious form,” and it added that by press time on Tuesday Sara Netanyahu had not issued an apology.
Israel National News also reported that Sara Netanyahu’s Likud party rejected the characterization that she promoted a conspiracy, saying in a statement that “contrary to the left-wing media’s manipulation of public consciousness, Sara Netanyahu never claimed there was a conspiracy surrounding October 7.”
Legal escalation and stakes
i24NEWS said Golan’s letter described Netanyahu’s comments as “false and defamatory” and alleged they were intended to portray him as “an accomplice to an act of treason,” while also alleging the remarks were part of an attempt to damage his reputation ahead of the elections.
“threatening to sue him for NIS 1 million”
Golan told i24NEWS that “This is not merely an attack against me,” and he said it was “an attack against an entire community of soldiers, volunteers and civilians who stepped forward when the Netanyahu government collapsed.”
ynetglobal reported that Sara Netanyahu responded Tuesday with a legal warning of her own, demanding an apology, removal of Golan’s statements, and NIS 100,000 in compensation while threatening to sue him for NIS 1 million.
ynetglobal added that Netanyahu’s attorney Uriel Nizri rejected Golan’s accusation, calling it “wild lies,” and the letter demanded that Golan issue a public and unequivocal apology within 48 hours and donate the money to the pre-military academy in Eli, whose graduates suffered heavy losses during the war.