Democrats head threatens legal action against coalition MKs for pushing conspiracies
‘I am determined to dismantle the poison machine,’ Yair Golan says, slamming MKs Tally Gotliv and Almog Cohen for allegedly defaming him with unfounded claims
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
The head of the left-wing Democrats party threatened on Thursday to bring legal action against two coalition lawmakers for alleged defamation over their attempts to link him to a conspiracy theory involving spying against the state.
In a statement, former MK Yair Golan said he could take action against Likud MK Tally Gotliv and Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Almog Cohen “for spreading conspiracies and lies across the internet and from the Knesset plenum rostrum.” The threat came days after he threatened to sue another Likud lawmaker for insinuating that the former general had helped Hamas plan the October 7, 2023, massacre.
A warning letter sent by Golan’s attorney to Gotliv Thursday demanded NIS 250,000 ($68,000) in damages and a public apology, stating that if she did not respond within 14 days he would initiate legal proceedings.
Golan did not specify if any moves had been taken against Cohen or what action was being considered against him.
“I am determined to dismantle the poison machine and I will continue to do so with full force,” Golan declared in his statement.
Both Gotliv and Cohen have spread internet conspiracy theories about Golan that claim that he was involved in espionage against Israel following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. The baseless conspiracies link Golan to an IDF reservist who presented himself as an intelligence officer following the Hamas attack to enter restricted areas and record classified discussions.
The letter from Golan’s attorney, which was posted online, cited a speech Gotliv gave from the Knesset plenum in late December in which she alleged that the opposition politician was involved in the case but the publication of that fact had been blocked.
Gotliv declared at the time she felt comfortable raising the issue because she has parliamentary immunity.
For his part, Cohen last month called on the police to investigate Golan regarding the “alleged connection of his name to the serious espionage affair in the Southern Command.”
A former IDF Northern Front and Home Front commander, Golan made headlines and received accolades for rushing to the front lines during the October 7 onslaught on his own initiative, rescuing partygoers fleeing the Hamas-led massacre at the Nova rave.
Golan previously served in the Knesset for Meretz, but failed to return to parliament when the party fell short of the electoral threshold in 2022. He currently heads the Democrats, an alliance of Meretz and the opposition Labor party.
Both politicians doubled down on their claims in response to Golan’s announcement on Thursday.
Cohen’s office issued a statement calling him “to join my demand that the prosecutor’s office reveal the notebook of the defendant” in the Southern Command espionage case, claiming that it “contains Yair Golan’s name and number.”
“For 15 months, it and this entire affair have been under a strict gag order. Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” the statement read.
In a lengthy tweet, Gotliv confirmed receiving Golan’s letter and countered that he “belongs behind bars for his despicable and dangerous actions and statements.”
“The fact that he was not questioned in the espionage case… is frightening. I still wonder how Golan wasn’t investigated for the many offenses he committed,” she wrote.
Her comments in the Knesset plenum were made because she “had a duty” to raise the fact that “he was the politician connected to the espionage case,” she stated — adding that “I wondered and still wonder why they didn’t investigate him and who is covering for him.”
“My clear statements in the Knesset are protected by substantive parliamentary immunity and therefore I cannot be sued for them,” Gotliv insisted.
Gotliv is currently being sued for defamation by anti-government protest leader Shikma Bressler. This week she rebuffed summonses for police questioning, citing parliamentary immunity.
Last January, Gotliv repeatedly circulated unfounded claims that linked Bressler and her partner to Hamas and its October 7 onslaught, including a conspiracy theory that said US intelligence agencies had intercepted a conversation between Bressler’s partner and then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
The claims led Bressler to sue Gotliv for defamation, seeking NIS 2.6 million ($715,000) in damages.
Cohen and Gotliv are not the only coalition MKs to spread conspiracy theories about Golan.
During an interview on the Knesset channel on Tuesday, Deputy Knesset Speaker MK Nissim Vaturi (Likud) insinuated that Golan may have betrayed Israel by allegedly cooperating with the Hamas terror group in the October 7 assault.
Vaturi dismissed multiple eyewitness testimonies that Golan rushed to the scene of the October 7 attack where he saved several people by evacuating them from the danger zone.
Later on Tuesday, Golan sent a letter via his legal representative to Vaturi demanding financial compensation of NIS 100,000 and a public apology. Golan said that if his demands aren’t met within two weeks, he would file a defamation lawsuit against the coalition lawmaker.
