Sara Netanyahu accused of racism and physical abuse by ex-staffer

A former cleaner at ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem has accused the premier’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, of racism, humiliating treatment and physical abuse, according to an interview aired on Hebrew Channel 12.

The worker, identified only by the initial “Y,” also leveled similar allegations against the couple’s son, Yair Netanyahu.

Netanyahu’s Office has firmly denied all the claims.

In the interview, Y said Sara Netanyahu displayed open bias against Mizrahi employees at the residence on Azza Street, treating them as second-class staff.

He further alleged that she forced an African foreign worker to change into a designated outfit every time she arrived, denied her breaks to eat or drink, and instructed other staff to give the woman expired food.

Y claimed Sara Netanyahu physically pushed him on three occasions when she was dissatisfied with his cleaning.

He described extreme demands: floors had to be washed with baby wipes, he was forbidden from walking on carpets, cutlery required three wipes before dishwashing, hangers had to be cleaned before use, and nearly 400 pairs of shoes needed wiping without hands going inside them.

On one occasion, he said, she threw the prime minister’s suit on the floor after he failed to clean a hanger properly and ordered him to pay for the extra cleaning.

According to Y, Sara Netanyahu once told him, “I am the top psychologist in the country, and you are autistic,” despite knowing he has a severely autistic son.

He also accused her of hoarding tendencies, requiring approval before discarding trash, and of instructing her husband on media appearances.

“He wouldn’t decide anything,” Y said of the prime minister.

Y further alleged that Yair Netanyahu grabbed him and pushed him out of the residence because bedsheets had not been washed.

The former employee, who previously oversaw cleaning at the Prime Minister’s Office, said he worked extreme overtime—169 hours in October, 143 in November and 116 in December. Haaretz reported that a 61-year-old former residence employee has filed a damages lawsuit against the Prime Minister’s Office, claiming repeated verbal abuse, unreasonable demands and physical assault that damaged his health.

The Prime Minister’s Office dismissed the Channel 12 report as “baseless” and stated that Y was dismissed for “failing in his work.”

Yair Netanyahu rejected the accusations against him, saying he “never pushed the worker, didn’t curse or humiliate him, and didn’t disrespect him in any way. The claims are the fruits of a twisted imagination or an attempt to blackmail.”

Similar past lawsuits against Sara Netanyahu have been upheld in ‘Israeli’ courts, though the current claims remain disputed and unproven in court.