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Rejected due to immunity • The defamation lawsuit filed by Sofi Nakash against the former mayor, Dr. Einat Kalish-Rotem

(haipo) - The District Court in Haifa rejected today (Sunday 5/1/25) the defamation lawsuit filed by city council member and Haifa deputy mayor, Sophie Nakash, against the former mayor, Dr. Einat Kalish. In a published decision, Judge Hananal Sharabi stated that her actions of Kalish were made in the framework of her public role, and therefore she is entitled to immunity on behalf of the Haifa municipality as a result of the immunity of the lawsuit against Cliché rejected.

Naksh's lawyer explained: Since the municipality grants immunity to the cliché, for reasons of efficiency, it was agreed (and not determined) that the lawsuit would be conducted against the municipality; And she will step into Klish's shoes.

Therefore, it is possible that there will be a continuation of this procedure, since the municipality of Haifa remains a defendant in the procedure and must now file a statement of defense. We will update later.

Claims against Sophie Naksh

This story begins with the audit carried out by the accounting firm Bar Lev and Associates in the municipality of Haifa, an external firm hired at the initiative of the mayor's office at the time, Einat Kalish, to examine a series of deficiencies that harmed the functioning of the municipality.

As part of the audit, a number of issues were examined, and among other things, the conduct of the city council member, Sophie Nakash, was examined. The findings of the report revealed that Nakash, who served as the deputy mayor, did not report on her husband's business with the municipality, as well as on the activities of the family real estate company they own, which initiated a prestigious project in the city - all this without performing due diligence, despite being a member of the planning committee and construction and chairwoman of the finance committee.

The initial findings were presented to the municipality in August 2020, and following them, the legal department ordered to stop the contract with the "Almog" company, which enjoyed a contract with the municipality without a tender in the amount of about one million shekels per year. Kalish forwarded the findings to the municipality's CEO, the municipality's treasurer, the legal advisor and other factors. Later, the report found its way to the media, and after the publications, Naksh hurried to update her conflict of interest agreement.

However, just before the local elections, city council member Sofi Nakash, who was placed second on Yona Yahav's list, filed a libel suit against Kalish in the amount of 2.6 million shekels, claiming that the findings of the published report damaged her name. Kalish appealed to the Haifa District Court to grant her Immunity, on the grounds that she was acting within the scope of her governmental role as mayor and as is expected of a public representative, when she passed on the findings For the examination of the relevant factors, she claimed that it was a political lawsuit, which was filed with clear motives to harm her election campaign, especially in light of the filing date of the lawsuit - October 7, 2023, close to the elections.

Haifa municipality refused (initially) to protect Klish

The municipality of Haifa, led by a new administration, opposed the granting of immunity to its political opponent. Moreover, she worked to obtain an opinion from the legal advisor of the Tel Aviv Municipality, who supported her decision to reject Kalish's request for immunity.

Dismissal of the defamation claim due to the granting of immunity

During the hearings, Judge Sharabi expressed his dissatisfaction with the legal arguments of the representatives of the municipality, and even recommended that they change their position. Last Thursday (02/01/25), the municipality of Haifa announced that it would go back and grant Klish immunity. This morning (05/01/25), in his decision, Judge Sharabi stated that the defamation claim is dismissed as a consequence of the recognition of immunity and that Klish's actions are considered part of her public role.

This decision is a significant legal achievement for Einat Klish and a turning point in the process for Naksh and her lawyers, who must now decide whether they intend to sue the municipality (which granted immunity to Klish) or stop the process.

Lawyers Amit Haddad and Noa Milstein (Photo: Efrat Eshel and Viniv Eitan)

Attorneys Amit Haddad and Noa Milstein representing Einat Kalish responded:

"We thank the Honorable Judge, Hananal Sharabi, who accepted our claims in full. This is a frivolous lawsuit that was filed on the eve of the elections with the aim of damaging Klish's candidacy and it would have been better if it had not been filed at all.

The judge was not convinced by the opinion of the legal advisor to the Tel Aviv Municipality, nor by the arguments of the municipality, nor by the witnesses who were heard and determined that all the actions of the former mayor of Haifa, Einat Kalish, were done within the scope of her duties and as expected of an elected official, and therefore dismissed the lawsuit."

Sofi Nakash's lawyer, Adv. Ben Karpel, told Haifa:

"Here are the real facts about what happened last Sunday (05/01/25) at the district court in the city: A series of senior officials in the Haifa municipality testified that Ms. Kalish behaved in an obsessive manner regarding Ms. Nakash; And she did - in your opinion - make improper use of taxpayer funds to conduct private investigations (the results of which are both contaminated and untrue) against Ms. Naksh.

The court emphasized that after a full procedure is conducted, and to the extent that the claim is proven that Ms. Kalish acted maliciously and hired a private investigator from the taxpayer's money (to hit a political opponent), the municipality can come back and sue her personally for everything she did. Accordingly, for reasons of efficiency, it was agreed (and not determined) that the lawsuit would be conducted against the municipality; And she will step into Klish's shoes.

The meaning is simple:
Ms. Nakash was not hit, but the municipality is forced to continue to deal with the alleged damages caused by Klish, as far as Ms. Nakash is concerned, as was explained from the beginning, she is indifferent about the identity of the person who will bear responsibility for the unjustified injustice caused to her. And she is convinced that after the procedure is conducted, Mrs. Kalish will bear full responsibility."

The decision:

Decision - The defamation lawsuit filed by Sophie Nakash against the former mayor, Dr. Einat Kalish-Rotem - 5/1/25
Decision - The defamation lawsuit filed by Sophie Nakash against the former mayor, Dr. Einat Kalish-Rotem - 5/1/25

contact: At watsapBy email

Samar Odeh - Carantinji
Samar Odeh - Carantinji
Journalist in the team of correspondents of the Chai Pe site • Municipal reporter, crimes, environment and health Contact Samar by email: [email protected]

Articles related to this topic

9 תגובות

  1. Oh, oh, hello Mrs. Klish, or Doctor Klish, may the dead be resurrected, I just have a question Mrs. Doctor Klish, do I steal money from the municipality, do I also get immunity from the municipality?, take a good lawyer Amit Hadad, a lawyer who represents thieves , and bribe takers, like the Prime Minister, , and people like you, I have told you many times, your swords and your destroyers come out of you,

  2. "Kalish" succeeded in her cunning to fool even the "high-tech-istsⁿ, who believed in her... (based on what?)... and opened their home... to the "Political Lie Conference"@
    "Architect" Aalek-lek-lek-😘

  3. Ya Menuvalim... Where is my
    COMMENT….?????
    Don't "trouble" in vain...!!!!!
    "Demo - demo - democracy" * infinite times = sing in "Zeka"!!!!!@@@@@ 😭

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