Menny Naftali threatens PM with libel suit

Menny Naftali, a former caretaker of the Netanyahu household which sued the Netanyahu couple earlier this year for allegations of mistreatment by Sara Netanyahu and then became the target of a concerted effort by the prime minister and his wife, including accusations that Naftali is responsible for the exorbitant expenses at the Prime Minister’s Residence, is threatening to sue the prime minister for libel.

“The days are over when anyone says what they want, without a shred of truth and without taking responsibility for anything,” says Naftali. “There is a limit to the abuse and torture one man can suffer. I’m a regular normal guy. My workplace did not fulfill its obligations toward me and broke countless labor laws. In my darkest dreams I did not believe that a prime minister in Israel will behave thus, and pin the responsibility for his and his family’s personal expenses on me,” Naftali is quoted by Haaretz as saying.

Naftali met with a lawyer specializing in libel suits on Thursday morning, after Likud officials blamed him for the expenses detailed in a report published by the State Comptroller’s Office on Tuesday. The shifting of blame to Naftali was seen by Netanyahu’s rivals as an attempt to deflect blame regarding behavior, which while not overtly illegal still shed a negative light on the PM and his wife.