The Bat Yam Small Claims Court ruled that left-wing activist Boaz Drori must pay NIS 5,000 in compensation to Shlomo Baruch Yarad, a minor and shepherd from the Ma’aleh Tadehar outpost in Gush Etzion, after finding that he had defamed him on the X social media platform, Arutz Sheva reported.

In October 2025, Drori shared a video showing Yarad leaning over a water well. According to the lawsuit, which was filed with the assistance of the Honenu legal aid organization, the video showed an attempt to rescue a young goat that had fallen into the water. But Drori’s post was accompanied by the caption: “Jewish settlers are contaminating Palestinian water wells in the occupied West Bank.”

During the hearing, Drori claimed that he shared the post to encourage public discussion about Israel’s image abroad and that he did not know the identity of the minor. He also claimed that the goat’s fall into the well had contaminated the water and that his description of the outcome was therefore accurate.

The judge rejected his arguments, ruling that there is a fundamental difference between accidental contamination caused during the rescue of an animal and accusing someone of deliberately poisoning wells as part of an “organized wave of attacks.”

In the ruling, the judge stated that the fact that the defendant did not know the minor’s name does not change the fact that he knew a specific individual appeared in the video and linked him to a serious offense, and that he should have taken into account that the person might be identified by family members and acquaintances.

Tom Nisani, an intern at the Honenu organization who assisted the family in filing the lawsuit, said: “Those who refuse to learn the easy way not to slander and spread libel and defamation against the courageous shepherds of Yehuda and Shomron will learn the hard way—they will learn, and they will also pay.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)