In his first public response to the media stir surrounding a lawsuit filed by a former housekeeper employed in the Caesarea home of Sarah Netanyahu and family, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stated, “direct the [media] fire at me, not Sara and the children”.

Critics question the significance of a lawsuit filed against the wife of a prime minister surrounding a dispute regarding her terms of employment and the need to bring this to the national media spotlight. They explain that when the mainstream Israeli press has an opportunity to “bash the Netanyahus”, it will use it to the maximum.

Speaking to a Channel 2 correspondent in Germany, during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Netanyahu explained that when one enters political life, one expects to become a target for attacks, but even understanding this is a given, that does not mean such attacks must be without limits.

“One does not pull a wife and children into the firing line” he added, expressing his admiration for those members of the press that did not fall prey to the budding story, stating he is confident that those behind the story will be revealed in the near future.

The prime minister dismissed accusations that his wife is involved in political decisions, stating such accusations [which were aired on Israel Radio on Monday] are “absurd”. He did credit his wife with seeking to influence in the area of providing increased assistance where possible, for the elderly, young and Holocaust survivors. Mr. Netanyahu credits his wife with making him a “better and more sensitive” person, standing at his side in a supportive role as well.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)