Right-wing MK sues West Bank watchdog for libel

Machsom Watch song lyrics say that Jewish Home’s Orit Strock told her son to beat an Arab; organization claims ‘artistic satire’

MK Orit Strock of the hawkish Jewish Home party has filed a lawsuit against the left-wing women’s group Machsom Watch, alleging malicious accusations, incitement and libel, Maariv reported on Monday.

The lawsuit refers to song lyrics penned by members of the West Bank watchdog organization about Strock and her son Zvi, who in 2007 was convicted of kidnapping and assaulting a 15-year-old Palestinian boy and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Zvi Strock was sentenced and jailed two years before Orit Strock, who lives in the West Bank city of Hebron, was elected to the Knesset. At the time, she served as chairman of the settler advocacy group the Human Rights Organization of Judea and Samaria. She has maintained her son’s innocence all along.

The Machsom Watch text includes the lyrics, “She sees off her son, saying ‘Go beat an Arab, bring me a little pride.'”

Strock’s lawsuit, which demands NIS 200,000 ($55,000) in damages, holds that Machsom Watch accused her of “initiating, cooperating, sympathizing, and teaching to commit a number of criminal offenses” that are not only illegal, but are morally unacceptable.

In a statement of response, the organization defended its lyrics as an exercise of freedom of expression. Machsom Watch’s attorney, Gabi Wolff, wrote to Strock’s attorney, Nadav Haetzni, that “I am shocked that your client, an elected MK who enjoys complete immunity for all of her statements, and who presents herself as a human rights activist, chose to completely disregard the basic right of freedom of speech and would intimidate… people wishing to express their opinion.”

Wolf went on to describe the lyrics as “artistic satire (whether successful or not) against the actions and opinions of an elected official… and cannot be considered as slanderous” or damaging Strock in any way that would justify reparation.

Machson Watch further noted that “it is difficult, outrageous and horrifying for all of us to find in the Israeli leadership lovers of spilt Palestinian blood.”