"Genesia, who worked as a cleaner at the prime minister's residence on Balfour Street (west Jerusalem), is suing Sara Netanyahu and the human resources company that employed her for NIS 650,000 ($179,400) in compensation for alleged mistreatment she suffered while working at the home," The Times of Israel reported.
The website added: "The allegations against the prime minister's wife include harassment, humiliation, and repeated violations of Genesia's working conditions, including Sara Netanyahu cursing her and throwing an iron at her."
He continued: "In court on Monday, Sara Netanyahu responded to these allegations, saying, 'These are blatant lies. I did not curse them.'"
The website reported that Netanyahu's wife said she was "not Genesia's employer" and accused her of violating her privacy.
He pointed out that "during the court interrogation, Genesia's attorney, Ofer Shimshon, asked the defendant (Sara Netanyahu) how she expressed her anger and concern, and she replied: 'Since the 1990s, everyone has known that money can be made from Sara Netanyahu.'"
She added, "I don't deserve this. I also work hard. I do a lot for the country." Netanyahu's wife also said that "Genesia would arrive at work drunk and record what was happening." She added, "There is not a single word of truth in her testimony." This is not the first time Sara Netanyahu has been accused of mistreating employees.
In 2017, Meni Naftali, a former guard at the Prime Minister's Residence, successfully sued Sara Netanyahu and received NIS 170,000 (about $43,735) in compensation from a Jerusalem labor court, which ruled that Naftali had been subjected to verbal and psychological abuse by Sara Netanyahu, The Times of Israel reported.
He added, "Another former employee at the Prime Minister's Residence, a 56-year-old French immigrant whose identity has not been revealed, filed a lawsuit against Sara Netanyahu for mistreatment in 2020, demanding NIS 650,000 ($189,000) in compensation for harassment and abuse at work," without disclosing the fate of the case.
Meanwhile, Sara Netanyahu is embroiled in other legal issues. Last December, police opened a criminal investigation into allegations that she sought to intimidate a witness and interfere in the ongoing corruption case against her husband, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu faces charges of corruption, bribery, and breach of trust in cases known as "1000," "2000," and "4000." Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit filed the indictment in late November 2019.
"Case 1000" concerns allegations that Netanyahu and members of his family received expensive gifts from wealthy businessmen in exchange for various benefits and assistance.
In "Case 2000," he is accused of negotiating with Arnon Mozes, publisher of the privately owned Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, to obtain positive media coverage.
The more serious "Case 4000" concerns alleged facilitation of favors to the former owner of the Israeli Walla news website, Shaul Elovitch, who was also an executive at the Bezeq telecommunications company, in exchange for positive media coverage.
Netanyahu's trial in these cases began in 2020 and is still ongoing. He denies the charges, claiming they are a "political campaign aimed at ousting him."