Netanyahu Returns To Court In Defamation Trial, Denies Pancreatic Cancer Allegations

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumed his testimony Thursday in a NIS 500,000 defamation suit he filed against activist-lawyer Gonen Ben Itzhak and journalists Uri Misgav and Ben Caspit. The evidentiary hearing is being held before Ramle Magistrate’s Court President Judge Menahem Mizrahi inside the Tel Aviv District Court building after the case was moved there for security reasons.

Case Background

The lawsuit challenges a series of public statements and reports that questioned Netanyahu’s health and fitness to serve, and an article alleging a meeting with retired Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amiram Levin. Plaintiffs say the publications were false and defamatory; the defendants say their reporting was legitimate public interest journalism and political criticism.

Netanyahu’s Testimony

Thursday’s session picked up where Netanyahu’s testimony in May was interrupted after roughly half an hour when he said he had to leave. At the earlier hearing, the prime minister described his medical condition as "proper and excellent" and denied claims that he had pancreatic cancer.

"My medical condition is proper and excellent," Netanyahu told the court at the prior hearing.

He testified that after years of treatment for an enlarged prostate, tests toward the end of 2025 identified an early-stage cancerous lesion in the prostate. Netanyahu said he underwent five radiation sessions in January and February and that follow-up examinations showed the lesion had been removed with no evidence of metastasis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to the courtroom at the District Court in Tel Aviv, in the trial against him, October 15, 2025. (credit: REUVEN KASTRO/POOL/FLASH 90)

Allegations Against Defendants

The complaint says Gonen Ben Itzhak posted on Twitter/X that he had been told Netanyahu was treated for pancreatic cancer and urged the prime minister to disclose his medical condition publicly. Netanyahu denies the pancreatic cancer claim and says the statement was false and defamatory.

The suit also cites posts and articles by Uri Misgav that criticized Netanyahu’s appearance and speech, questioned his medical care and referred to reported hospital visits. Ben Caspit is named over a report that alleged a meeting between Netanyahu and Amiram Levin after which Levin supposedly left shaken and concluded Netanyahu was unfit and dangerous to the state. Netanyahu denies such a meeting ever took place.

Defendants’ Response And Counterclaims

The defendants deny that their publications amount to defamation. Ben Itzhak has filed a NIS 480,000 counterclaim alleging that Netanyahu and his son circulated defamatory material tying him to unrelated criminal incidents and exposing personal details; Ben Itzhak says the prime minister’s suit is intended to silence him.

Caspit maintains his piece reported Levin’s alleged impressions following the purported meeting rather than directly commenting on Netanyahu’s medical condition. Misgav argues that questions about the health of an elected official are legitimate public criticism and that the lawsuit aims to muzzle a critical journalist.

What Happens Next

The evidentiary hearing will continue as the court assesses testimony and evidence from both sides. The proceedings remain closely watched given the political prominence of the plaintiff and the sensitive health-related allegations at the case’s core.