Libel suit againt Y. Maharshak and Channel 10 TV

Professor Eli Pollak's letter:

Last Passover, Mr. Maharshak was interviewed on channel 10 TV and had the following to say:

"There is a young man whose name is Zafrir Ronen who was one of the heads of the opposition, almost the armed opposition to the disengagement in Gush Katif, he and his good friend Ahuvya Tabenkin, the son of the late Yitzchak Tabenkin,...they are encouraging groups of settlers...they also said that I stole a saw and the saw drips blood and with this I killed Palestinians".

The interview opens with a statement by one of the interviewers:

"Thursday night unnamed people broke into the house of Yoel Maharshak who is sitting now with us. They destroyed property; they tried to frighten the residents of the home"

During the interview, Maharshak is presented as the next person (following Rabin) to be murdered for political reasons. This is what Maharshak has to say:

"I have turned into a target of incitement which with can with certainty end up, if someone connects the past with the present… these things end up with murder…"

He is then asked:

"Do you feel that your life is threatened?"

and he answers:

"Definitely, definitely, a group of people who enters my home without permission, steal into the Kibbutz…"

Israel's Media Watch has taken upon itself to finance a libel lawsuit of Mssr. Tabenkin, Gertel and Ronen against Mr. Maharshak and channel 10. We believe that it would be wrong to allow such an interview to be broadcast without due response. However, a libel lawsuit is expensive. At this point we need approx. NIS 10,000 to pay for court fees and other related expenses.

You can help us with your donation, either with your credit card through our website, or by sending a check to Israel's Media Watch, POB 6023, Jerusalem, 91060 and stating that your donation is for the libel lawsuit.

Allow me to take advantage of this letter to wish all of you a very happy and blessed new year, may the curses of the past year end and the blessing of the new year appear!

Yours,

Eli Pollak