Court rejects MK Rothman’s libel suit against Channel 12 reporter since report was true

By Jeremy Sharon

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29 July 2026, 6:23 pm

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Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter

Journalist Guy Peleg arrives at the Jerusalem Magistrate Court for a hearing in a lawsuit against him by Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman, May 22, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court rejects a libel suit brought by Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman against Channel 12 legal reporter Guy Peleg, who reported that Rothman said “the blood of brothers Hallel and Yagel Yaniv who were murdered in Huwara is redder than the blood of those murdered on October 7.”

Rothman’s comments related to a Palestinian terror attack in the village of Huwara in February 2023 in which brothers Hallel and Yagel Yaniv were murdered.

The court finds that Peleg’s report was correct, stating “the plaintiff’s testimony and conduct reinforce the finding that the element of truth has been established.”