Ex-caretaker files libel suit against PM’s people

Former caretaker at the Prime Minister’s Residence Menny Naftali files a libel suit at the Herzliya Magistrate Court against Prime Minister Netanyahu’s media adviser and campaign manager Nir Hefetz and the attorneys representing Netanyahu in the media: lawyers David Shimron, Yaacov Borovsky, Shulamit Eshbol and Yossi Cohen.

Naftali seeks NIS 500,000 ($126,000) in compensation. He initially threatened the libel suit after Netanyahu’s advisers blamed him for the high expenses at the residence, as revealed by a special state comptroller report last week.

Naftali’s lawyers write that the lawsuit “should be directed at the prime minister” but cannot be directed at him because he is “hiding behind his immunity.” Naftali claims that Netanyahu’s advisers decided to launch a “targeted strike” against him in an effort to paint him as responsible for the expenses at the residence. “The closer we are to elections, the harsher the attacks [by Netanyahu’s advisers] become,” the lawsuit states.