Judge urges Yair Netanyahu, leftist group to settle libel spat out of court

A judge at Tel Aviv’s Magistrate’s Court urges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son, Yair, and left-wing think tank Molad resolve their counter claims of libel outside the courtroom, to avoid a trial.

Judge Hanna Klugman suggests the sides apologize to each other, whether in an official capacity or through Facebook posts. She says Netanyahu and Molad should “recognize the importance of public discourse on controversial matters” while “maintaining people’s dignity.”

The case originated in August of last year when Molad wrote an unflattering Facebook post about the premier’s son titled, “Five things you did not know about Yair Netanyahu.” Netanyahu then called the group “radical” and “anti-Zionist,” leading to a libel suit by Molad and a counter-suit by Netanyahu.