Court Overturns Ruling Favoring Netanyahu's Wife in Lawsuit

A Magistrate's Court has overturned a previous ruling that ordered former Prime Minister's Residence employee, Silvi Gania, to pay Sarah Netanyahu NIS 100,000. The cancellation came after Gania claimed severe negligence by her former attorney, Ofir Samson, who failed to meet deadlines and submit documents to the court.

Several months prior, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Magistrate's Court had accepted Netanyahu's defamation lawsuit against Gania, ordering her to pay NIS 100,000 in damages, plus NIS 20,000 in legal fees and court costs. The lawsuit, filed in 2020, concerned two publications by Gania in December 2019 and May 2020, which Netanyahu alleged constituted defamation.

Gania, a former employee at the official residence, failed to submit her closing arguments on time and did not request an extension or provide an explanation for the default. Earlier this year, Netanyahu testified in the Regional Labor Court in Jerusalem regarding a separate NIS 650,000 lawsuit filed by Gania against Netanyahu, the Prime Minister's Office, and cleaning company "Moria." Gania's suit alleged workplace bullying, damage to her reputation, and other claims, including demands to change clothes multiple times daily, fines, and shouting.

During her testimony, accompanied by former Chief of Staff David Sharan and spokespeople Ofer Golan and Guy Levi, Netanyahu stated she barely encountered Gania, referring to her as "this woman." She claimed, "I went to my work in the morning and for the public matters I do, and when I returned the floor was empty. I barely encountered her." Netanyahu accused Gania of being a "plant," citing messages Gania sent to her managers complaining about behavior. "What cleaning lady conducts endless correspondence and saves it? All the documentation here contains text messages from a house employee. I have not seen such a thing in the world, it was intentional to build a case, make a fortune, and get publicity."