Supreme Court will hear Israeli paper’s plea over alleged defamation

OTTAWA – The Supreme Court of Canada will look at whether a defamation suit can proceed in Ontario against an Israeli newspaper.

Haaretz, Israel’s oldest daily newspaper, published an article criticizing the management style and business practices of Canadian businessman Mitchell Goldhar, who owns a soccer team based in Tel Aviv.

The article was available in print and on the newspaper’s Hebrew and English-language websites.

Goldhar began a defamation action in Ontario against the newspaper, its former sports editor and the author of the article.

Haaretz moved to halt the action, arguing that Ontario courts lack jurisdiction or, in the alternative, that Israel would be a more appropriate forum.

The newspaper was unsuccessful in the lower courts, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court, which gave no reason for its decision today.