Education Minister Yuli Tamir filed a NIS 500,000 (approx. $145,000) suit against Reudor Benziman, CEO of Channel 10 News, Tali Ben Ovadia, the editor of the channel's 8 o'clock news broadcast, and Ran Lior, one of the channel's reporters, citing slander and defamation of character.
Sunday's suit followed a Channel 10 report which aired in August, suggesting Tamir had ordered the teachings of Ze'ev Jabotinsky, founder of the Revisionist Party, be dropped from the education system's curriculum.
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According to the brief, filed by Attorneys Gilad Sher and Tali Ben Simon, of Aaronsohn, Sher, Aboulafia, Amoday & Co., the report was deliberately misleading.
"Not only had the plaintiff not given any such order, the educational system has boosted its teachings of Jabotinsky's doctrine thanks, in many ways, to her personal efforts," said the suit.
Tamir further stated she was not given the opportunity to comment and that quotations used on behalf of the Education Ministry were taken out of context.
"Airing this story was nothing less than a malicious, ugly and deliberate attempt to discredit the plaintiff and make her into a laughing stock. The story has harmed her as a private person, a public persona and as one holding a senior position in the Israeli administration."
The education minister is demanding the story and all archived material pertaining to it be erased form Channel 10 database and archives, as well as an on-air apology and a new report correcting any false impression made by the original broadcast.
A Channel 10 News statement said that the network stands by the report and its content, and respects Tamir's fundamental right to have the matter cleared in court.
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