Prediction market platform Polymarket has banned the accounts of users who allegedly threatened Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel Fabian.
In a recent post, the platform said it condemns the harassment and threats aimed at Fabian, as well as at any other individual.
The action followed the harassment directed at Fabian after he reported that an Iranian ballistic missile struck an open area outside Beit Shemesh, Israel, on March 10, causing no injuries. The report became the focal point of a coordinated pressure campaign by bettors who stood to lose significant sums of money if his account held.
“My minor report on a missile striking an open area was now in the middle of a betting war, with those who had bet ‘No’ on an Iranian strike on Israel on March 10 demanding I change my article to ensure they would win big,” he wrote.
What began as emails asking for a correction quickly shifted into an organized pressure campaign. Some also contacted his colleagues at other outlets.
One individual circulated a fabricated screenshot on social media, falsely suggesting Fabian had acknowledged an error and agreed to issue a correction.
The pressure escalated significantly when a man identifying himself as “Haim” began sending threatening WhatsApp messages in the middle of the night. He told Fabian that the group stood to lose $900,000 and would “invest no less than that to finish” him.
The messages included specific references to Fabian’s home neighborhood, his parents, and his siblings. A countdown-style ultimatum followed.
“86 minutes left. You are the only one responsible for your life,” Haim wrote, according to Fabian’s published account.
Fabian wrote that he went to the police, who are now investigating the matter.
