(José Niño, Headline USA) Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, widely known as “America’s Rabbi”—but more recently dubbed “Rabbi Butt Plug” by Infowars host Alex Jones—has filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against prominent attorney Alan Dershowitz, journalists Batya Ungar Sargon and Elizabeth Berney, as well as two publications, The Algemeiner Journal and The Forward.
The legal action, filed last Saturday, accuses the defendants of orchestrating a malicious smear campaign that falsely alleged Boteach sought and accepted bribes from Qatar.
The complaint, lodged by Boteach’s attorney Samuel C. Feldman, centers on a series of articles and public statements made by the defendants in 2018 and 2019. These statements, according to the lawsuit, falsely portrayed Boteach as a for sale grifter who betrayed his Jewish community by allegedly seeking financial compensation to meet with Qatari officials and lead a delegation to Doha.
I’ve just sued Alan Dershowitz who lied blatantly about me, when I fought Hamas-funder Qatar, completely alone, as they sought to whitewash the billions they gabe terrorists to murder Israelis and used Jewish American leaders to do it. Dershowitz is a serial offender against… pic.twitter.com/OjJhNQHM6f
— Rabbi Shmuley (@RabbiShmuley) November 6, 2025
The allegations were reportedly based on claims made by Dr. Nicolas Muzin, a Canadian-American strategist who was hired by Qatar at $300,000 per month, according to Tablet magazine report, to build “bridges to the Jewish community.” Muzin stated that Boteach had demanded a six-figure fee for the proposed visit and was later rejected by Qatari officials for being not credible and untrustworthy.
Boteach vehemently denies these accusations, asserting that he categorically declined offers to meet with Qatari officials and was an early and vocal opponent of Qatar’s alleged funding of Hamas. In a letter dated Sept.16, 2025, Muzin himself admitted that the claims attributed to him in the articles were completely false, stating that Boteach never requested such a meeting, never asked for any money, and never sought to lead any such trip to Doha.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants’ statements were made with clear malice and intent to damage Boteach’s reputation, which he claims has caused him significant economic harm and undermined his standing as a global spiritual leader and ambassador for the Jewish community. The complaint seeks at least $10 million in compensatory damages, along with attorney’s fees and other relief.
The case highlights a bitter dispute within the Jewish community over engagement with Qatar, a Gulf state accused of funding Hamas.
Boteach has been a vocal critic of Jewish leaders who have engaged in dialogue with Qatari officials, particularly those who participated in all expenses paid trips to Doha organized by Muzin. He’s also become prominent in alternative media through his multiple appearances on Jones’s Infowars show, where Jones has jestingly dubbed him as “Rabbi Butt Plug.”
Rabbi Buttplug Shmuley Strikes Again In New INSANE Debate With Alex Jones! pic.twitter.com/A6oyrTc4ZY
— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) June 20, 2025
Dershowitz visited Qatar and later described it as the “Israel of the Gulf states, “a characterization Boteach found outrageous given Qatar’s documented financial support for Hamas. In a 2019 article, Dershowitz called Boteach’s accusations lashon hara, or evil words, and claimed that Boteach begged to be invited to travel to Qatar.
The lawsuit also names journalist Batya Ungar Sargon, who Boteach alleges quoted registered Qatar agent Nick Muzin to defame him with fabrications designed to silence his criticism of Qatar’s influence operations.
The case can be found here.
