The Captain R. affair In 2005,
Uvda broadcast a documentary on the killing of 13-year-old Iman Darweesh Al Hams by IDF troops in the
Gaza Strip. According to her investigation, the commanding officer, identified as Captain R., verified her death by shooting her from point-blank range. Captain R. was eventually acquitted by a court martial. Following his acquittal, he filed a lawsuit against her and channel 2 for libel. The Jerusalem District Court found Dayan liable for libel and awarded Captain R. NIS 300,000 in damages. However, the Jerusalem District Court has denied Captain R.'s demand that Dayan reveal her sources. Dayan filed an appeal to the
Supreme Court of Israel, which then reversed the ruling of the District Court. The Supreme Court stated that the documentary programme did cause damage to captain R., but that Dayan was protected by the
Substantial truth doctrine. The court stated that, at the time of the broadcast, the details on the programme could be known to be sufficiently reliable to a "reasonable journalist", and the court also clarified the concept of "Truth at the Time", pertaining to the case. The justices dismissed the demand by the plaintiff for an apology, but they charged NIS 100,000 of compensation to be paid by
Telad, the TV production company for
Channel 2, in lieu of the programme trailers, which were found to be libel. In September 2014, an extended panel of nine judges, sitting as an Additional Hearing at the request of captain R., ruled to sustain the previous judgment, and further, to extend the basis for Acquittal from "Truth at the Time" to "In
Good faith". An investigation by Israel Harel reported in the Israeli newspaper
Haaretz found that video footage aired by Dayan on her program on Channel 2 showing soldiers dancing in delight that she attributed to the event was actually footage from a
Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) party. Similarly, photos of soldiers celebrating after firing their weapons and attributed to Captain R. and his platoon were actually taken of another platoon after target practice in a non-combat situation.
The Brothers Parinyan affair In April 2005
Uvda suggested that Yoram Levy, a senior police officer, was effectively representing the interests of the Parinyan crime family within the police, after criminal Pinhas Buhbut was murdered by a cop. Following the program, a police investigation found Levy not guilty and closed the case, but did write down a disciplinary offense for Levy for using the brothers as sources. Near the end of the year, the Zeiler Commission appointed to investigate the police proceedings during the affair. according to Justice Vardi Zeiler, "if not for Ilana Dayan and her television program, this case wouldn't have been revived and no one would have known what happened. These are things that can be said with absolute certainty". The commission report eventually led to the resignation of police commissioner
Moshe Karadi and the discharge of Levy. Levy filed a lawsuit for libel against Dayan, arguing that her report exaggerated his part in the affair.
The Moshe Katsav affair In March 2007,
Uvda was accused of portraying the suspended
President of Israel,
Moshe Katsav, as fraternizing with criminals and systematically sexually assaulting female employees and then intimidating them into silence on the eve of his hearing with Attorney General
Menachem Mazuz by Katsav's attorneys, who said they would file a slander suit against Dayan. ==References==