Sara Netanyahu appeals court ruling in favor of ex-employee
PM’s wife says as she was not named as a defendant, she didn’t have chance to defend herself against abuse allegations
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Sara Netanyahu on Thursday filed an appeal to the National Labor Court in Jerusalem against a ruling ordering the state to compensate her former housekeeper Menny Naftali for abuse.
Earlier this month, the court awarded Naftali NIS 170,000 (about $43,735) in damages, accepting his claims of mistreatment by Netanyahu while employed at the Prime Minister’s Residence.
In her appeal, the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 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.
Her 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.
Two weeks ago, the court ruled 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.”
The Times of Israel Community.