Israeli Journalist Receives Death Threat from Polymarket User for Reporting on Battlefield Event

**March 16 Update** Emanuel Fabian, a reporter for *The Times of Israel*, says he’s been targeted with harassment and death threats from users of the online betting platform Polymarket over his accurate coverage of an Iranian missile strike. On March 10, an Iranian ballistic missile hit the outskirts of Bet Shemesh, near Jerusalem. Fabian reported the missile struck an empty area with no casualties—but in the days that followed, he received dozens of emails and WhatsApp messages demanding he revise his story, claiming the impact was actually from intercepted missile fragments. Polymarket users wagered **over $14 million** on the question: *“Will Iran attack Israel on March 10th?”* The platform’s rules state intercepted missiles do NOT count as an “attack.” If Fabian changed his report, it would let those bettors win a massive payout. Threats escalated quickly: Some fabricated screenshots of Fabian’s emails; others pressured him via colleagues and offered profit-sharing. The worst came from a person identifying as Haim, who warned if Fabian’s refusal leads to a $900,000 loss for the group, they’ll spend at least that much to “settle” him. Fabian has filed a police report, and Israeli authorities are investigating. He says he won’t alter his reporting—but worries other journalists could struggle to uphold ethics if offered profit-sharing. Last month, Israeli reserve soldiers and civilians were prosecuted for betting on a prediction platform using classified information.