Former residence workers testify against Sara Netanyahu, poke holes in allegations
In the testimony, former employees of the Netanyahu residence allege that the Prime Minister's wife often drank excessive amounts of alcohol and verbally abused employees.
By YONAH JEREMY BOBUpdated: SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 01:43Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu at Ben Gurion Airport(photo credit: PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE)
Sara Netanyahu took a hit on Sunday in multiple-related civil labor law cases against her when former workers of the Netanyahu family residence elaborated on some of the harshest allegations against her.At the same time, Netanyahu’s lawyer, Jerusalem state attorney Kochavit Netzach- Dolev poked several holes the allegations during her cross-examination.The proceedings started Sunday with Guy Eliyahu, who presented a variety of examples of the poor treatment he received as an employee.Eliyahu accused Netanyahu of asking “me to bring her food, and when I would return with the requested food she would accuse me of trying to make her fat.”Eliyahu said that on one occasion, he was called back to the residence “after midnight, just so I could heat up a bowl of soup for Mrs. Netanyahu.” He said that he was reprimanded by Netanyahu and told that he must come back to the residence no matter the hour if she wanted food.Eliyahu also claimed that, on a separate occasion, he was called back to the residence because he had not wished her goodnight when he left, despite the prime minister having told him he could leave after midnight.Netzach-Dolev pounded on this last point in cross-examination, getting Eliyahu to admit that she was not really demanding that he say the words “goodnight” to her, rather to ask if she needed anything for her permission to leave.Further, Netzach-Dolev got Eliyahu to admit that his over-time work sheets were not accurate, though Eliyahu explained that he was directed by supervisor Ezra Seidoff, also a target in the case, to take into account the whole work-week while filling out overtime work sheets, regardless of whether they were accurate for a specific day.In March, Meni Naftali, the most wellknown of those who have sued Netanyahu for abuse and underpayment, testified that Netanyahu often drank excessive amounts of alcohol.In a potentially damaging development for Netanyahu, former cook, Eti Haim, confirmed that account and also confirmed Eliyahu’s allegations that Netanyahu had hit Haim and caused her to faint from stress.
Haim was compelled by the court to testify, having refused to join Naftali and Eliyahu willingly. When asked by Netzach- Dolev why she did not join them, she answered that she simply did not want the attention or to badmouth her employer, but she still confirmed most of the allegations against Netanyahu.