(SeaPRwire) – By: Julian Holbrooke
Sara Netanyahu’s latest lawsuit isn’t a random attack. It’s the latest thread in a decade-long tapestry of worker abuse allegations, and her husband’s office is hiding behind tired election-year rhetoric to dismiss it. The claim that this is a “witch-hunt” ahead of October’s vote doesn’t hold water when you look at the steady stream of testimonies from former household staff.
The Prime Minister’s Office calls Rami Ben-Hamo’s lawsuit “fake news.” Ben-Hamo tells a different story. He worked at the Netanyahu residence from 2023 to 2025, logging 60 to 80 overtime hours each month. Sara Netanyahu allegedly forced him to clean the soles of her shoes and her handbag. She screamed at him if chores weren’t done exactly as she wanted. She repeatedly called him an “undeveloped Moroccan,” telling him, “I am the prime minister’s wife. You will do what I tell you.” He says he begged her in tears to stop the ethnic slurs. She kept him working through Shabbat, even though she knew he observed the Jewish day of rest. After he had a cardiac event and catheterization in 2025, her treatment grew harsher. When he tried to resign citing mistreatment, the office refused to accept his notice, demanding he say he left for personal reasons.
This isn’t the first time such claims have surfaced. In 2016, a Jerusalem labor court awarded former caretaker Meni Naftali 170,000 shekels after confirming Sara Netanyahu fostered abusive conditions. Earlier this year, another former employee settled with her staffing company after alleging Netanyahu threw olives and tomatoes at her during breakfast. Just weeks ago, 61-year-old Yehiel Ohev-Ami sued for 300,000 shekels. He claims Netanyahu made him crawl to clean the kitchen floor, wished him cancer and death after a smoke break, and even “diagnosed” him with autism. All these cases share the same pattern: detailed, personal accounts of humiliation, followed by blanket denials from the PM’s office. What’s more, multiple reports say Sara Netanyahu holds immense political sway, with veto power over key appointments. Former chief of staff Yoav Horowitz recently said she and Benjamin Netanyahu are “one; it’s impossible to separate between them.”
Israel’s October elections are looming, but voters won’t be distracted by the “fake news” label. This scandal isn’t just about household mistreatment—it’s about whether political power can shield those close to it from basic accountability. The pendulum is swinging toward a demand for transparency that even the Netanyahu machine can’t ignore.
Author bio: Julian Holbrooke is an international relations analyst based in Brussels, contributing to leading European dailies on Middle Eastern political dynamics.