Dozens said to file complaints against Sara Netanyahu after report alleging dirty deeds
Opposition MK, good governance group urge probe after TV report said PM’s wife sought to intimidate witness in his trial, organize protests against rivals; Likud: False accusations
Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter

Dozens of people have reportedly filed police complaints about possible criminal acts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, following allegations by the Channel 12 investigative program, Uvda, that she sought to intimidate a witness in her husband’s criminal trial and have protesters harass the attorney general, the deputy state attorney, and those seen as hostile to the premier or his family.
Harassing a witness and seeking to subvert the testimony of a witness are criminal offenses punishable by three years and seven years in prison respectively.
Uvda on Thursday published correspondence to and from Benjamin Netanyahu’s late aide, Hanni Bleiweiss. The text messages indicated that the premier’s wife and son were active in efforts to dig up dirt on his political rivals, intimidate key actors in his corruption trial, and set law enforcement on protesters against him, while seeking the promotion of police officers who complied with the request.
Sara Netanyahu also allegedly instructed Bleiweiss to send activists from her husband’s Likud party to hurl obscenities at their neighbors, the parents of a fallen military pilot, who were active in demonstrations against the premier
The TV report was supported by WhatsApp messages obtained by Uvda from the cell phone of Bleiweiss, who passed away in 2023.
According to Uvda’s report, Sara Netanyahu instructed Bleiweiss to have Likud activists publish attacks on Hadas Klein, a key witness in one of the criminal cases against the prime minister, and to demonstrate outside her house ahead of, or during, her testimony in court, with the intention of intimidating and harassing her.
Sara Netanyahu also gave instructions for similar protests and other forms of harassment to be conducted against then-attorney general Avichai Mandelblit and Deputy State Attorney Liat Ben Ari, Uvda alleged.

Among the vanguard of complainants against Sara Netanyahu was Labor MK Naama Lazimi, who filed complaints to the attorney general, the head of the Israel Police’s Lahav 433 serious crime unit and State Attorney Amit Aisman, calling for them to investigate.
Three of Lazimi’s parliamentary aides also filed complaints in person at the Lev Tel Aviv Police Station during the morning, and created a WhatsApp group, giving instructions to members on how to file such police complaints online.
Over a thousand people have since joined the group. Lazimi claimed dozens of people had filed complaints by Sunday afternoon.
“Sara Netanyahu must be investigated,” she declared on Twitter.
“In a country where the police function properly, she would have been summoned for questioning immediately after the investigation was broadcast. In today’s Israel, we will have to help this happen.”
The prime minister’s Likud party responded in a statement: “The collapse of the false claims against Prime Minister Netanyahu in court are no reason to hound him and his wife with false accusations. Aren’t you fed up?”
Earlier this month, Netanyahu began giving testimony in his corruption trial in three cases in which, together, he is accused of fraud, breach of trust, and bribery.

The Movement for Integrity in Government (Telem), a good governance watchdog group, sent a letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, calling on her to open an investigation into Sara Netanyahu.
“Sara Netanyahu’s actions raise serious suspicion of criminal offenses of subverting testimony, or, alternatively, harassment of a witness (or solicitation to harass a witness), offenses under Sections 246 and 249 of the Penal Code, and possibly even the offense of obstruction of justice under Section 244 of the Penal Code, in relation to the actions against the then attorney general and state attorney [official] Liat Ben Ari,” Telem wrote in its letter to the attorney general.