Former Shin Bet chief threatens to sue Channel 14 over ‘completely false’ inflammatory comments

Former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen has issued a legal warning to Israel's Channel 14, demanding the retraction of what he calls "completely false" and inflammatory remarks made about him on a program. Cohen, now a member of Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party, is also suing panelist Micha Kobi, who made the allegations.

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completely false

According to the legal warning, Kobi claimed during Shimon Riklin’s program on June 17 that Cohen had advocated for the release of deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as part of the 2011 deal to secure the return of Gilad Shalit. Kobi further alleged that Cohen pressured then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the deal, despite knowing Sinwar was planning future massacres.

Cohen has vehemently denied these accusations, labeling them as baseless. His legal team, represented by the Ben Zur Corb & Co. law firm, argued that Channel 14 provided a platform for spreading "serious false allegations" against an individual who served for decades in the security establishment. The demand includes publishing a correction, issuing a public apology, clarifying the inaccuracy of the remarks, and immediately removing all related broadcasts.

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serious false allegation

While Cohen is not seeking financial compensation at this stage, the primary demand is the deletion of publications, retraction of allegations, and public clarification that the statements are untrue. The Yashar! party issued a statement suggesting the legal action is a response to their growing political strength, calling it a "campaign of slander and lies."

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As the governance alternative led by 'Yashar!' with Eisenkot grows stronger, so does the campaign of slander and lies. the pressure is understandable and clear.