Was something false published about you? How to respond and sue

Service page: Defamation lawyer: protecting your reputation.

What you are actually entitled to, and what not

A news site published an article about you with a wrong fact. You ask for a correction, and they ignore you. What can you do?

You have three tools: a right of reply (to publish your position), a right of correction (to correct a wrong fact), and a defamation claim (for compensation). They do not always overlap, and the order in which you use them matters.

Israel has no general law that establishes a right of reply: in the press it rests on the Code of Professional Ethics of the Press, and in Second Authority broadcasts on rules that the Authority’s council must set (section 47(b) of the Second Authority for Television and Radio Law, 5750-1990 (חוק הרשות השניה לטלויזיה ורדיו, התש״ן-1990)). The Prohibition of Defamation Law adds an incentive: an editor who did not publish a correction or denial that was demanded of them loses the good-faith defense (section 17). The right to sue is set in the Prohibition of Defamation Law, 5725-1965. Both apply to digital publications too. Because the order of the steps has consequences, it is worth setting it with a defamation lawyer before the first approach to the editors.

The Prohibition of Defamation Law: the main tool

The Prohibition of Defamation Law, 5725-1965 provides:

• A publication that may humiliate a person in the eyes of others is defamation
• Compensation without proof of damage: up to NIS 84,038.36, the index-linked cap under section 7A(e), as of the update of 16 October 2026 (the Law states NIS 50,000, a base amount from 1998)
• Double compensation when intent to harm was proved: up to NIS 168,076.72 (as of the update of 16 October 2026)
• An online publication that counts as defamation, including tweets, posts and comments

The steps in order: do not skip any

The right order matters: a demand for correction is not a condition for filing a claim, but it carries weight. In a newspaper or a broadcast, a signed demand that was not answered denies the editor and those responsible for the publication the good-faith defense (section 17), and a correction or apology published after it is a consideration for reducing the compensation (section 19(4)).

• Step 1, immediate documentation: take a screenshot with the date and time. Save the URL. If there are comments, save them too. Digital evidence disappears.
• Step 2, a written request for correction: send an email to the editor or the site manager with clear wording: “The publication contains a false fact. I request a correction or a response within 7 days.” Keep a confirmation of sending. For section 17 to apply, the demand must be signed by you, and the text you ask to have published must contain no defamation and be of reasonable length. Was the matter published in a newspaper that appears less often than once a week? You can demand that the correction or denial also be published in a daily newspaper (section 17(b)).
• Step 3, the Press Council: if there is no response, you can file a complaint with the Israel Press Council (מועצת העיתונות) about a breach of the ethics code. This is an ethics procedure, separate from a legal claim.
• Step 4, a claim: if the damage is real, a defamation claim. Under the Prohibition of Defamation Law, 5725-1965: up to NIS 84,038.36 without proof of damage, up to NIS 168,076.72 if intent to harm was proved (the index-linked caps as of the update of 16 October 2026).

Defenses available to the media

Not every publication that harms you gives rise to a cause of action. The Law recognizes defenses:

• Truth defense (“emet dibarti”): if the publication is true, and there is a public interest in it (section 14)
• Good faith: a publication in good faith in one of the circumstances in section 15, for example expressing an opinion on a person’s conduct in a public role or in connection with a matter of public interest (section 15(4)), or criticism of a work they published or of an act they did in public (section 15(6))
• Reporting on legal proceedings: a correct and fair report of what was said or happened at a public court hearing, including its decisions, if the publication was not prohibited (section 13(7))

Social media: a new challenge

The right to correction and removal on social media is different from the traditional media. In Israel you can:

• file a complaint directly with the platform (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok)
• sue over a post as defamation even if it reached only one person other than you (section 7)
• complain to the police when the publication amounts to an offense (section 6). A civil order requiring a provider to reveal an anonymous user is limited: in LCA 4447/07 Mor v. Barak I.T.C. (application for leave to appeal), the Supreme Court held that without a statutory arrangement there is no power to order this

Frequently asked questions

Is there a law that requires a media outlet to publish my response?

Israel has no general law that establishes a right of reply. In the press it rests on the Code of Professional Ethics of the Press, and in Second Authority broadcasts on rules that the Authority’s council must set (section 47(b) of the Second Authority for Television and Radio Law). The Prohibition of Defamation Law adds an incentive: an editor who did not publish a correction or denial that was demanded of them loses the good-faith defense (section 17).

A post about me was published in a small group. Can it be defamation?

Yes. Publication to one person other than the injured person is enough for a civil wrong to arise (section 7 of the Prohibition of Defamation Law), and a written matter that could have reached a person other than the injured person counts as a publication (section 2(b)(2)), so even a post in a small group may give rise to a cause of action.

A correction was published after I demanded it. Can I still sue?

Yes. A correction, denial or apology published in the same place, to the same extent and in the same way, and without reservation, does not cancel the cause of action; it is a consideration for reducing the compensation (section 19(4) of the Prohibition of Defamation Law).

Can a platform be ordered to reveal who posted about me anonymously?

The possibility is limited: in LCA 4447/07 Mor v. Barak I.T.C., the Supreme Court held that without a statutory arrangement there is no power to order a provider to reveal an anonymous user. You can file a complaint directly with the platform, and complain to the police when the publication amounts to an offense (section 6 of the Prohibition of Defamation Law).

How soon do you have to file a defamation claim?

The limitation period is the general one: seven years (section 5(1) of the Prescription Law, 5718-1958 (חוק ההתיישנות, התשי״ח-1958)). Even so, it is worth acting quickly: digital evidence is deleted, and a significant delay makes it harder to prove the publication and how widely it spread.