Sara Netanyahu faces new lawsuit over harsh mistreatment of residence staff

• A former employee at the Israeli prime minister’s official residence is seeking 450,000 shekels ($122,000) over alleged mistreatment and labor violations.
• The Prime Minister’s Office denied the allegations, calling them fabricated and part of a politically motivated campaign against the Netanyahu family.

A new civil lawsuit filed with the Jerusalem Labor Court accuses Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of workplace abuse and severe mistreatment during the plaintiff’s employment at the prime minister’s official residence.

Rami Ben Hamo, who worked as a household employee at the residence for more than 10 years, is seeking 450,000 Israeli shekels, equivalent to about $122,000, in compensation.

According to legal documents reported by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Ben Hamo described the treatment he allegedly experienced as “extremely harsh,” including repeated verbal tirades, humiliation and degrading working conditions.

Ben Hamo alleges that he was regularly subjected to shouting and humiliation over routine household tasks.

One incident cited in the lawsuit allegedly involved plastic bags in a kitchen cabinet. According to the filing, Netanyahu became angry over how the bags had been organized and folded, threw them onto the floor and ordered Ben Hamo to pick them up while insulting and shouting at him.

The lawsuit also alleges that Ben Hamo faced persistent criticism over cleaning and household organization.

Beyond the alleged verbal abuse, he claims he was required to work between 60 and 80 hours of overtime per month, causing significant emotional stress and violating labor protections.

The Prime Minister’s Office strongly rejected the claims, describing the allegations as false fabrications.

It also accused Channel 12 and other media outlets of conducting what it called a deliberate, politically motivated “election campaign” targeting Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife and their family.

The office said similar accusations have repeatedly emerged as political and election periods approach.

The lawsuit adds to a history of labor disputes and complaints involving former household and maintenance employees at the prime minister’s official residence. The allegations in the latest case have not been established in court.