Tel Aviv Court Reverses Compensation Order Against Netanyahu's Wife

A Tel Aviv court has overturned a previous ruling that ordered Sylvie Genesia, a former employee of the Prime Minister's residence, to pay Sara Netanyahu 100,000 shekels in compensation. The decision, made on September 14, came after Genesia requested the annulment of the verdict.

This ruling is part of a defamation lawsuit filed by Sara Netanyahu against Genesia, seeking 400,000 shekels. Previously, the court had ordered Genesia to pay because she failed to provide sufficient evidence for her accusations. Genesia had published diary excerpts alleging she was forced to change clothes multiple times daily and that Sara Netanyahu insulted and yelled at her. The court initially ruled there was no proof.

However, the court now acknowledged that Genesia's failure to submit documents on time was a significant oversight. Crucially, the court determined this failure was due to her previous lawyer's actions, not her own inaction. To prevent a potential miscarriage of justice and allow for a substantive review of both parties' claims, the decision was rescinded.

Genesia is not the first former employee to sue Sara Netanyahu, with other workers alleging she behaved like a "landowner." Two previous lawsuits by former cleaners were dismissed. In one case, a cleaner named Shira Raban worked for only 20 days, a period the court deemed too short to substantiate claims of "systematic humiliation."

Genesia's lawyer, Shaul Ido, expressed optimism, stating that while previous rulings indicated no grounds for Netanyahu's defamation claim, Genesia was ordered to pay solely for procedural reasons. He added, "We trust the court, but in any case, we will continue to act to achieve justice."