Sara Netanyahu to counter abuse claims in court

The wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sara Netanyahu, was testifying in court Sunday to answer allegations by a former caretaker of the Prime Minister’s Residence that she mistreated workers.

Caretaker Menny Naftali is suing the Netanyahus, alleging verbal abuse and financial impropriety by Sara Netanyahu, in a case that has captivated much of the Israeli press by providing a rare glimpse into the personal life of the country’s ruling family.

The Netanyahu couple counter that Naftali’s suit is born of his frustration that he did not receive tenure in the position after working as a non-tenured caretaker for two years.

Sara Netanyahu’s testimony marks her first public statement on the matter.

The legal representatives of the Netanyahu household at the State Attorney’s office initially wanted to rely on the testimony of other employees at the Prime Minister’s Residence who said Naftali would look for ways to intentionally irritate Sara. The employees also painted an ugly picture of Naftali’s relations with his subordinates and alleged that he falsified hourly work reports.

The court, however, criticized the defense for trying to make do with testimony by low-level employees at the residence and avoid presenting a written statement by Sara Netanyahu.

Naftali’s accusations range from claims of verbal abuse and what he called irrational demands by Sara Netanyahu regarding the management of the residence, to allegations that the prime minister’s wife made him return wine bottles to supermarkets and pocketed the deposits. Naftali also claimed Netanyahu made him undertake chores at all hours of the day. He accused the Netanyahu couple of spending money on food and drink ordered from outside the residence despite the fact that a cook working at the Prime Minister’s Residence is paid for by the state.

His allegations were widely covered by the Israeli media, which has often criticized the Netanyahus for their lavish lifestyle, including outsized expenses charged to state coffers, and has also protrayed Sara Netanyahu as a difficult person who wields great influence over her husband.

In interviews during his previous term as prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly claimed the Israeli media “has it in for Sara” and is being unfair toward the couple.

In her deposition to the court submitted before her testimony, Sara Netanyahu wrote she “initially rejected the complainant’s request [for the caretaker position] because I had doubts regarding how much he was really suited to the position, but I was misled by his many promises and pleadings.”

She claimed Naftali was employed as a security guard in a private firm prior to becoming caretaker of the residence and was terminated following an altercation with another employee there. “Had I known that the complainant was fired from his job as security guard due to a violent confrontation, I would not have wanted him to serve as caretaker in the first place,” Netanyahu wrote.

Countering Naftali’s allegation that Sara Netanyahu made unusual requests at all hours of the day, Netanyahu wrote that Naftali was made aware well in advance of beginning in his position as caretaker that the position was one of unusual scope. “Working at the Prime Minister’s Residence is unique, since this is a place combining a workplace and a house. This creates, naturally, a complex working environment. The complainant knew from the start what the job entails and he knew his position would require long and sometimes unusual hours.”

Netanyahu also pointed out that Naftali’s insistence on receiving the status of state employee indicated that he was interested in continuing in his job, a wish that does not match his allegations that his employer was difficult to satisfy.

Sara Netanyahu claimed in her statement that the caretaker used to throw into the trash meals prepared by the Prime Minister’s Residence’s cook immediately at the end of her workday and that this was the reason the prime minister’s family needed to order food from outside. “When my family and I wanted to eat, he claimed the cook did not prepare anything and this is why he needed to order from outside,” she wrote.

Finally, Netanyahu claimed Naftali violated the premise of working in a position in close intimacy with the prime minister’s family. “Naftali’s job requires a lot of trust, dedication and a willing to be present in person, as well as discretion and the ability to safeguard the privacy of me and my family. He violated all these principles the moment he decided to give interviews to various media outlets.”

The affair has been ongoing for months and the court agreed to postpone Sara Netanyahu’s testimony until after the March 17 election, accepting the Netanyahus’ claim that media discussion of the affair ahead of the election would affect the outcome of the vote.