Betar Illit Mayor Meir Rubinstein has filed a libel lawsuit against the head of the city council opposition for a NIS one million. The lawsuit has been filed against Councilman Menachem Zeida. The lawsuit was filed with a civil court after the mayor received a heter from a beis din. The lawsuit was filed by attorney Erez Chickas. The lawsuit reportedly follows a “prolonged campaign of personal persecution”.

The mayor’s attorney explains the lawsuit is the response to an ongoing campaign of “character assassination which includes releasing libelous statements against the plaintiff”. Chickas explains that while legitimate criticism is welcome and expected, the ongoing personal attacks and libelous statements and ongoing character assassination is unacceptable.

It is cited that the accused allegedly launched his attacks against the mayor on a number of fronts including an internet blog, Facebook and pashkavilim towards publicizing the libelous damaging statements and accusations anonymously while carrying on “a merciless obsessive campaign” against Rubinstein.

Zeida is a member of the Betar City Council, heading the opposition. Persons close to Rubinstein explain Zeida has been engaged in the campaign since the elections, describing it as an “unprecedented campaign against the mayor including personal attacks against him”.

Rabbonim of the city and its beis din have in recent weeks sent numerous warning letters to Zeida but the campaign continued, leading the beis din to give Rubinstein permission to sue him in a civil court. It is reported this lawsuit is only the first of many, as a number of other individuals who were targeted by Zeida plan to file a lawsuit against him to. Rubinstein announced that if awarded the money, it will be used to support a special kollel that emphasis the limud of halachos of loshon hora and mitzvos ben adom l’chaveiro as well as towards a new beis medrash in the city’s Givat Bet area.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)