- Ehud Olmert had alleged that Benjamin Netanyahu and his family suffered from mental illness.
- A judge ordered him to pay $18,000 (£15,260) to Mr. Netanyahu’s wife Sara and their son Yair.
- The former Israeli prime minister was the first former prime minister to be imprisoned.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the future prime minister of Israel, has prevailed in a defamation lawsuit against a former leader who alleged that he and his family suffered from mental illness.
A judge mandated that Ehud Olmert make reparations to Benjamin Netanyahu, Sara, and their son Yair in the amount of $18,000 (£15,260).
In two Israeli TV interviews last year, Mr. Olmert said that he had been sincerely expressing an opinion.
The judge, however, rejected that argument and stated that he had also failed to provide sufficient medical evidence to support the claim.
“It is impossible to ignore the fact that in Israel in 2022, referring to a person as ‘mentally ill’ is likely to demean a person in the eyes of the people or make him an object of hatred, contempt or ridicule,” Amit Yariv was quoted as saying by the Times of Israel.
“It is nice to know that in a strange and mad world where you can spread any ugly and damaging lie against prime minister Netanyahu, his wife, and family, clear and unequivocal boundaries were created today that have put an end to Olmert’s vile lie,” said Mr. Netanyahu’s attorney.
Amir Tytunovich, Mr. Olmert’s attorney, expressed disappointment with the outcome and hinted that an appeal would be considered.
When the two ex-prime ministers squared off in court in January, the defamation case garnered a lot of media interest.
The first former Israeli prime minister to be imprisoned was Mr. Olmert.
After being under investigation for corruption in 2008, he gave up his position as party leader but continued to serve as prime minister until the elections that brought Mr. Netanyahu to power the following year.
In a series of trials, Mr. Olmert was ultimately found guilty of bribery, fraud, breach of trust, and obstructing justice in 2014; however, he didn’t start serving his 27-month prison sentence until two years later.
When the opposition came together to defeat Mr. Netanyahu and create a government in June 2021, his 12-year reign as prime minister came to an end.
After he refused to resign while being tried for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, they took action against him. He has denied any wrongdoing and said that his political rivals are conducting a “witch-hunt” against him.
The general election this month gave Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party and affiliated far-right and religious groups a majority in parliament, despite the fact that he is still facing charges. As a result, Mr. Netanyahu is expected to take office again in the next days or weeks.
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