Former Yeshiva CEO Shmuel Wendy Targeted by Death Threats After False "Blood Libel"
Shmuel Wendy the former CEO of the Homesh Yeshiva, is facing a wave of relentless harassment and death threats following a viral social media post falsely accusing him of murder. Despite a public apology from the organization that launched the claim, Wendy says the damage to his life and security is already done.
The campaign against Shmuel Wendy began a week ago when the left-wing organization "Standing Together" published a post on X (formerly Twitter) featuring Wendy’s photo. The post directly accused him of carrying out a shooting attack and murdering a 13-year-old child in the village of Al-Mughayyir.
According to the legal aid organization Honenu, which is representing Wendi, the event "never happened." Attorney Avishag Schwartz characterized the post as a "false blood libel," noting that Wendy is an ordinary citizen who has never been involved in any such incident.
80 Calls and Death Threats
Since the post went viral, Wendi has reportedly received over 80 harassing phone calls and hundreds of hate messages. Honenu released details of the threats, which include:
Legal Action and Apologies
Wendi has filed a formal "letter of warning before lawsuit" against "Standing Together" and several activists, including Zahava Gal-on, who shared the claim. Following the legal notice, both "Standing Together" and Gal-on issued apologies, claiming the post was a "good faith error."
However, Wendy’s legal team rejected this explanation. Attorney Schwartz pointed out that "Standing Together" is a Public Benefit Corporation with a multi-million shekel budget and nearly 100 employees. "An entity of this size has all the tools to perform basic fact-checking," she wrote, describing the failure to verify the rumor as "criminal negligence."
The letter also noted that the tweet remained online throughout the night, even after several journalists and social media users pointed out the error in real-time. It was only removed after Wendy announced his intention to sue.
Impact on Safety and Livelihood
Wendy expressed deep concern for his personal safety, particularly as his job requires him to travel abroad several times a year. He fears the false accusation has put him at risk on an international level.
"The lies told about me are a direct continuation of the 'settler violence' campaign," Wendy stated. "These libels are as far from the truth as East is from West, aimed solely at defaming those who give their lives for the Land of Israel."
He confirmed that he has filed an official police complaint regarding the death threats and is seeking significant damages for the harm to his reputation and financial stability.