The Israeli Attorney General ordered the police to open an investigation into the matter Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuNetanyahu’s wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and a witness in the Israeli Prime Minister’s trial on corruption charges.
The Israeli Ministry of Justice made the announcement in a brief message late Thursday, saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the Uvda investigative program on Sara Netanyahu.
The program revealed a set of WhatsApp messages in which Ms. Netanyahu appears to be instructing a former aide to organize protests against political opponents and intimidate Hadas Klein, the key witness in the trial.
The announcement did not mention Ms. Netanyahu by name, and the Justice Ministry declined to comment further.
But in a video released earlier Thursday, Netanyahu listed what he said were his wife’s many acts of kindness and charity and criticized the Uvda report as “lies.”
“My opponents on the left and in the media have found a new, old target,” he said. “They are attacking my wife, Sarah, mercilessly.” He described the program as “false propaganda, bad propaganda that brings lies from the dark.”
It was the latest in a long line of legal troubles facing the Netanyahu family – highlighted by The Guardian The ongoing corruption trial of the Prime Minister. The couple also had a tense relationship with the Israeli media.
Netanyahu faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases accusing him of this. Favors were exchanged With powerful media moguls and wealthy partners. Netanyahu denies the accusations and says he is the victim of a “witch hunt” by prosecutors, police and the media.
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The report obtained correspondence between Sara Netanyahu and Hani Belweis, a former assistant to the Prime Minister who died of cancer last year. The messages indicated that Sara Netanyahu encouraged the police to take strict measures against them Anti-government protesters She ordered Plewis to organize protests against her husband’s critics. She also asked Belweis to persuade activists in Netanyahu’s Likud Party to publish attacks on Klein.
Klein is an aide to billionaire Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan, and testified in the corruption case about her role in delivering champagne, cigars and gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars to Netanyahu for her boss.
According to the report, Sara Netanyahu mistreated Pleiweis, prompting her to share the messages with a reporter shortly before her death.
Sara Netanyahu has been accused of abusive behavior toward her personal staff before. This, in addition to the accusations Excessive spending and use of public money Because of her extravagant personal tastes, she earned an image out of touch with ordinary Israelis. In 2019, she was fined for misusing state funds.
Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, She, who oversees the police and has repeatedly said that Public Prosecutor Gali Baharav Mayara should be sacked over a series of injustices against her, said the latest announcement was another reason for her dismissal.
“A person who politically persecutes government ministers and their families cannot continue to serve as a prosecutor,” he said.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin, another Netanyahu ally and critic of Harav Meara, accused her of focusing on “TV rumours.”
“Selective enforcement is a crime!” He said in a statement.
