It appears: Your public funds will pay the verdict against Hadas Steif

The court ordered journalist Hadas Steif and the state to pay 450,000 shekels to Efi Naveh following phone hacking. The state was held vicariously liable. It is estimated that most of the sum will be paid from the state treasury, while Steif will bear 120,000 shekels personally.

The Central District Court in Lod ordered journalist Hadas Steif and the State of Israel to jointly and severally pay 450,000 shekels to Efi Naveh, former head of the Israel Bar Association, for invasion of privacy through phone hacking. Judge Oren Schwartz ruled that Steif's actions had a "criminal nature," but the state was held vicariously liable because the actions were carried out within the framework of her journalistic work at Galei Tzahal. In addition to the joint liability, Steif was personally ordered to pay an additional 120,000 shekels, including 90,000 shekels in legal fees and 25,000 shekels in compensation for defamation over a post in which she called Naveh a "garbage worm." At this stage, it is estimated that most of the compensation will be paid from the state treasury, i.e., from public funds, while Steif will bear the personal liabilities. Galei Tzahal is still examining the method of payment distribution, and this has not yet been finalized. The judge justified imposing liability on the state by stating that leaving an investigative journalist without coverage from the employer could harm investigative journalism.