Behind the hits of Zohar Argov and Daklon: The royalties battle splitting the Ben Mosh family

The three Ben Mosh brothers, leading producers in Mizrahi music, are embroiled in a prolonged legal dispute over royalties and wages. Brother Moshe Ben Mosh, a well-known guitarist, claims that Ben Mosh Records owes him money. The lawsuit ended with a ruling requiring payment of 92,000 shekels, but the checks were not honored.

The three Ben Mosh brothers, the producing and distributing family that owns Ben Mosh Records and are among the founders of Mizrahi music, have been in a long-standing legal dispute over unpaid royalties and wages allegedly owed by the company to one of the partner brothers, Moshe Ben Mosh, one of the well-known guitarists in Mediterranean music. Ben Mosh Records was a leading producer of cassettes and records in Mediterranean music in the 1970s and 1980s, including for Zohar Argov, Shlomi Shabat, and Daklon. Following the production and distribution of these artists' songs, Ben Mosh Records, which is no longer active, is entitled to ongoing royalties from PPL. Brother Avigdor holds 46% of the company, brother Moshe holds 36%, and brother Eliezer holds 18%. According to Moshe, in 2018 Ben Mosh Records ceased its membership in PPL, and Avigdor registered himself as a shareholder instead. In a lawsuit he filed in 2023 at the Tel Aviv Regional Labor Court against his brothers for approximately 400,000 shekels, Moshe claimed he received a salary of about 5,000 to 5,300 shekels for royalties and a dividend of 100,000 shekels, and that the company owes him payment for wages and social benefits. In an affidavit, Moshe claimed that the ledger presented by the company was a "sophisticated forgery." Brother Avigdor countered in an affidavit that Moshe agreed to report his share of profits as salary slips to save on taxes, and that he stopped paying him after he failed to work to grow the business. The lawsuit ended in December 2025 with a ruling requiring payment of 92,000 shekels, but the checks given to Moshe were not honored by the banks. Moshe has now filed a request for documents and financial reports to clarify the income.