Israel Defamation Laws: Civil & Criminal

Defamation in Israel is both a civil wrong and a criminal offence under the Prohibition of Defamation Law, 5725-1965 (the Defamation Law). The Act lets courts award statutory damages without proof of actual harm, and recognises truth published in the public interest as a defence, though criminal prosecution is rare in practice.

What counts as defamation in Israel

Defamation in Israel is defined by Section 1 of the Prohibition of Defamation Law, 5725-1965. A publication is defamatory if it is something whose publication is liable to lower a person in the eyes of others, to make a person the target of hatred, contempt, or ridicule, to harm a person in their office, business, occupation, or profession, or to disparage a person because of acts, conduct, or qualities attributed to them. The statement must be published, which the Law treats broadly to include spoken words, writing, print, drawings, and other means, and it must concern an identifiable person. Israeli courts have generally held that the test is objective, asking how an ordinary reasonable reader or listener would understand the publication, and that the Law must be interpreted in a way that respects freedom of expression as a fundamental value.

Civil liability

Defamation is principally pursued as a civil wrong in Israel. The Defamation Law treats a defamatory publication as a civil tort that entitles the injured person to sue for compensation and other remedies. A claimant must show that the publication falls within the Section 1 definition, that it was published to at least one person other than the injured party, and that it refers to the claimant. Once those elements are made out, liability follows unless the defendant establishes one of the statutory defences. Israeli courts have generally held that companies as well as individuals can sue, and that the focus is on the harm to reputation rather than on proof of financial loss, which is why the statute allows damages without proof of actual damage.

Watch out: Because the Defamation Law permits compensation without proof of any monetary loss, a single post or message that reaches even a small audience can expose the publisher to a substantial award.

Criminal defamation and penalties

The Defamation Law also creates a criminal offence. Section 6 provides that a person who, with intent to injure, publishes defamation to two or more persons other than the injured person, commits an offence punishable by imprisonment of up to one year. Criminal proceedings under the Law require the consent of the Attorney General or are pursued through the limited private-criminal-complaint mechanism, and prosecutions are uncommon. In practice, defamation in Israel is overwhelmingly handled through civil suits, and the criminal provisions are rarely invoked. Press-freedom monitors have noted that criminal libel exists on the books but is little used, with the civil damages regime serving as the main avenue for redress.

The defences

The Defamation Law sets out defences in Sections 13 to 18. The truth defence in Section 14 protects a publication where the thing published was true and there was public interest in its publication, so truth alone is not enough without the public-interest element. The good-faith defence in Section 15 protects a range of situations listed in that section and in Section 16, such as expressing an opinion on the conduct of a public official, fair criticism, and statements made under a legal, moral, or social duty, provided the publisher acted in good faith and the publication did not exceed what was reasonable. Section 13 confers absolute privilege on certain publications, including those made in legislative and judicial proceedings.

Remedies and damages

The main civil remedy is compensation. Under Section 7A, a court may order the defendant to pay the injured person compensation of up to a statutory ceiling (about NIS 50,000) without proof of damage, and a higher amount (roughly double) where the court finds the defamation was published with the intent to harm. A plaintiff who can prove actual damage may seek compensation beyond those figures. Courts may also order an apology, a correction, or an injunction, and Section 9 allows the court to order publication of a correction or an apology. Israeli courts have generally held that the statutory damages ceiling is a floor for awards without proof of harm rather than an absolute cap on all defamation damages.

Limitation period

A defamation claim must be brought within the time allowed by Israel's general limitation rules. As of 2026, the standard limitation period for civil tort claims is governed by the Prescription Law, 5718-1958, and claimants should treat defamation as subject to that general civil-claims framework and bring suit promptly after publication. Because reporting on the exact period applicable to defamation can vary, anyone considering a claim should confirm the current limitation period before relying on it. Courts have generally applied discovery principles where a plaintiff could not reasonably have known of the publication at the time it occurred.

Online defamation

Defamation published online is treated under the same Prohibition of Defamation Law that governs print and broadcast. Posts on social media, comments, blogs, and messages can all be defamatory publications if they meet the Section 1 definition and are communicated to a third party. Israeli courts have generally accepted jurisdiction over online defamation where the plaintiff's reputation in Israel is harmed and the defendant can be served, including in cases involving foreign-hosted content. Questions of platform and intermediary responsibility have been addressed through case law rather than a single dedicated statute, and a claimant typically targets the author of the offending content, gathering screenshots and other contemporaneous evidence of the publication.

Watch out: Sharing or forwarding a defamatory item can itself amount to a fresh publication, so re-posting another person's statement may create independent exposure under the Law.

How a defamation claim is brought

Most defamation claims in Israel are civil suits filed in the Magistrates' Court, which hears the majority of monetary claims, with larger matters potentially reaching the District Court. The claimant files a statement of claim setting out the publication, how it identifies the plaintiff, and the compensation or other relief sought, and the defendant may plead one of the statutory defences. Many claimants begin with a demand letter citing the 1965 Law and seeking a correction, apology, or removal before commencing proceedings. Criminal proceedings, where pursued at all, generally require the Attorney General's involvement or proceed through the narrow private-complaint route, reflecting how rarely the criminal track is used.