House of Horror: Sara Netanyahu 'Enslaves' Her Household Staff
Occupied Jerusalem – Agencies: Sarah Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, faces allegations of mistreating household staff, according to shocking testimonies reported by the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. The Israeli newspaper revealed dozens of testimonies and lawsuits that have accumulated over more than 25 years from former employees at the Netanyahu residence, including horrific accusations against his wife of mistreatment and imposing extraordinary work demands. The newspaper stated that some of these cases ended with court judgments and compensation, while others were settled or dismissed, emphasizing that Sarah Netanyahu and her lawyers have denied the allegations over the years, dismissing them as part of a “media campaign” and attempts to extort money from the state.
According to the newspaper, the latest case was a lawsuit filed by employee Yehiel Ohav Ami, who worked at the prime minister’s residence during the past year. He asserted that he “was insulted, shouted at, and cursed, and was once asked to clean the kitchen floor on his hands and knees.” The 61-year-old employee said that Sarah Netanyahu wished him cancer and death, and that after she falsely claimed he had autism, she told him, “I am the number one psychiatrist in the country, with no rivals.”
The office of the Israeli prime minister denied these allegations, claiming they were “another attempt to extort money from the state by smearing the reputation of the prime minister’s wife.” Meanwhile, Sarah Netanyahu filed a lawsuit against the employee, accusing him of illegally photographing the prime minister’s residence and violating her privacy.
The newspaper also covered the case of Menny Niftali, who served as manager of the prime minister’s residence and filed a lawsuit against the prime minister’s office regarding working conditions. In February 2016, the Jerusalem Regional Labor Court ruled to grant Niftali compensation of 170,000 shekels ($56,670), concluding that abusive working conditions existed within the residence due to Sarah Netanyahu’s behavior and treatment of staff. However, the judgment was issued against the state and the parties involved in the lawsuit, not against Sarah Netanyahu personally.
In another case, maintenance worker Guy Eliyahu received compensation in 2016 after the court accepted much of his claim that he was subjected to a work environment characterized by fear, shouting, reprimands, and insults. Eliyahu stated that, among other things, he was once forced to return home after midnight just to heat up a soup dish for Sarah Netanyahu, and on another occasion to return and say “good night” to her. He also said he sometimes worked up to 19 hours a day.
The newspaper also cited the testimony of chef Eti Chaim, who said that Sarah Netanyahu slapped her hand after she opened a cupboard without washing her hands first, describing the blow as a “punch on the hand.” Chaim added that Sarah Netanyahu would shout at employees, pull tablecloths off tables, and demand they be replaced within minutes. Sarah Netanyahu denied these incidents.
Among the cases was a lawsuit by Shira Raban, a 24-year-old religious cleaning worker, who said she was shouted at and insulted and felt like a “slave.” In her testimony, Raban stated that Sarah Netanyahu would run toward female employees, “waving her hands, shouting, and pulling her hair,” which terrified them into fearing physical assault. Two employees described themselves as “modern-day slaves,” but compensation was awarded against the prime minister’s office as the employer, not against Sarah Netanyahu personally.
