Israeli Journalist Threatened with Death by Polymarket Users for Reporting on Battlefield Events

Israeli journalist Emanuel Fabian from 'The Times of Israel' reported being harassed and threatened with death by users of the online prediction platform Polymarket due to his accurate coverage of an Iranian missile attack. On March 10, an Iranian ballistic missile hit the outskirts of Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem. The journalist stated in the report that the missile hit an uninhabited area, causing no casualties. Following this, the journalist received numerous emails and WhatsApp messages demanding that he change the report, claiming that the actual impact was from intercepted missile fragments. It is reported that Polymarket users had wagered over $14 million on whether Iran would attack Israel on March 10. The platform's rules state that intercepted missiles do not count as attacks. If the journalist were to modify the report, it would ensure them winning a substantial prize. Subsequently, the threats escalated, with some individuals forging screenshots of the journalist's emails, others pressuring him through colleagues and promising a share of the winnings, ultimately leading to direct death threats. One individual, identifying as Haim, threatened that if the journalist did not alter the report causing them to lose $900,000, they would invest an amount not less than this to settle the journalist. The journalist has since reported the threats to the police, and Israeli authorities are currently investigating. The journalist stated that their reporting will not change due to the threats, but expressed concern that other journalists may struggle to uphold professional ethics if promised a share of the winnings. Last month, Israeli reserve soldiers and civilians were prosecuted for betting on prediction platforms using confidential information.

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