During divorce proceedings, the wife's sister published publications that included intimate accusations against the ex-husband in the family WhatsApp group where the couple's children are also members.
The Court accepted the claim. Israeli law defines defamation as something that harms a person's good name and is intended to humiliate him in the eyes of others. The publisher may claim a defense of good faith in the event that he feels that he has a moral obligation to publish and as long as the publication does not exceed the reasonable scope under the circumstances of its publication. Here, the publication addressed to the father's children in an offensive manner, in a group of over 20 members, including the family members. Additionally, the sister-in-law did not make any attempt to verify the facts prior to the publication, such as by contacting the ex-husband. Therefore, the publication exceeds the reasonable scope and the defense of good faith does not apply, and therefore the publication amounts to defamation.