Lawyer asks to remove judge who ruled against Sara Netanyahu
Court that found caretaker was abused by PM’s wife made up its mind before hearing case, attorney argues
An attorney for Sara Netanyahu filed a request Sunday seeking the dismissal of the judge who ruled against her in a case in which she was accused of abusing workers at the Prime Minister’s Residence.
Earlier this month, the court awarded former caretaker Menny Naftali NIS 170,000 (about $43,735) in damages, accepting his claims of mistreatment by Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while employed at the Prime Minister’s Residence.
Yossi Cohen, Sara Netanyahu’s lawyer, asked that Judge Dita Proginin, president of the National Labor Court, be removed from the case brought by the former housekeeper.
“The court’s mind was already made up,” Cohen alleged.
Sara Netanyahu filed an appeal at the end of February with the National Labor Court in Jerusalem against the ruling, which was leveled against the state-owned residence and not her specifically.
In her appeal, the prime minister’s wife maintained that since she was not named a defendant in the original case, she was not given a chance to defend herself.
Despite this, the court decision focused much attention on Netanyahu’s behavior, maligning her, she argued.
Netanyahu testified in the case in May 2015, accusing Naftali and the media of waging a concerted campaign against her.
Netanyahu’s attorneys wrote that Naftali “lied” and said the former housekeeper had a history of violent behavior, including during his army service.
They also raised allegations that Naftali’s wife received subsidized housing because she was registered as a single mother, even though the two were living together at the time, the Walla news website reported.
“It’s amazing to see how Mrs. Netanyahu continues to bash Menny Naftali in every way possible, and bothers the citizens of Israel with this never-ending saga,” Naftali’s attorney said in response to the appeal.
After hearing Naftali’s case, the court ruled earlier this year that “numerous testimonies presented to the court point to an atmosphere of harmful work conditions at the residence due to the behavior of Mrs. Netanyahu and her attitude toward the workers. These included irrational demands, insults, humiliation and outbursts of rage.”
After studying the verdict, Sara Netanyahu’s lawyers recommended that the prime minister’s wife appeal, giving her a chance to present her own documents and witnesses regarding the affair. The Netanyahu family on February 11 criticized the verdict, saying that “the picture drawn by the court is far from reality.”
“Menny Naftali did not sue Sara Netanyahu, but the State of Israel,” said the family in a statement. “Even so, his lawsuit involved defaming Mrs. Netanyahu without giving her a chance to retort.”
“I knew I’d win,” Naftali said following the ruling. “The amount of compensation does not matter to me because I am in much bigger debt than this sentence, but this is just the beginning for me. I am waiting for the libel suits concerning anyone who spoke against me. To me this is just a small victory along the way.”
