Yuli Novak
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2025-067-001
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2025
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: 31.046051
Longitude: 34.851612
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- Israel
- From Region
- Gender
- Female
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
Director of the Israeli non-governmental organisation B’Tselem briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, upon the invitation of the Presidency of the Security Council (Slovenia).
- Reported trigger of reprisal
briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, upon the invitation of the Presidency of the Security Council (Slovenia).
- Engagement with UN body
- UN Security Council
- Dates of engagement
- 4 September 2024
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- 5 Septemeber 2024, 6 September 2024, 9 September 2024
- Reprisal information
In connection with her statement to the Security Council, the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations in New York shared three posts on social media24 and spoke on several programs broadcast on national Israeli television,25 where he stated that Ms. Novak had “spread lies,” ‘incited against the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces, and “slander[ed].” In his post of 6 September 2024, in response to expressions of concern for the well-being of Ms. Novak, the Permanent Representative stated that “there was no concern that she would be arrested”.26 68. The posts were widely re-posted by other social media users, with dozens sharing intimidatory messages or calling for the revocation of Ms. Novak’s citizenship. Separately, on at least one occasion, a social media user re-posted content from another source regarding Ms. Novak’s intervention at the Security Council and added a call for serious violence, including sexual violence, against her.27 69. On 5 September 2024, Member of Knesset Ms. Tally Gotliv sent an open letter to the Israeli Police Commissioner demanding an investigation into Ms. Novak on the suspected crime of ‘assistance to the enemy in time of war’.28 The letter stated that Ms Novak had appeared before the Security Council and “dared attack the State of Israel.”29 The charge of assisting the enemy in time of war, under Section 99 of the Penal Code of Israel 5737-1977, as referenced by the Member of the Knesset in her letter, can carry the death penalty or a life sentence. At the time of writing, OHCHR was not aware of any action taken by the Police Commissioner to follow up on the letter from Ms. Gotliv. 70. On 9 September 2024, Member and Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, Mr. Nissim Vaturi, wrote an open letter to the Minister of Interior, drawing attention to Ms. Novak’s intervention before the United Nations and calling for her citizenship to be revoked, on the basis of the Israeli Citizenship Law, which allows for such a measure in extreme cases of ‘breach of allegiance’ to the State. At the time of writing, OHCHR was not aware of any action taken by the Minster of Interior in response to the letter.
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Defamation / Defamation campaign
- Online harassment
- Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- State actors
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- No
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- No
- Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
- No
- Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
- No
- Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
- No