Netanyahu Advisor Denies Firing After Sarah Netanyahu’s Outburst at Maccabiah Opening

Yossi Bassad, the longtime personal advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sarah, was reportedly dismissed following a public incident at the 22nd Maccabiah Games opening ceremony. Witnesses said Sarah Netanyahu shouted at Bassad, accusing him of stepping on her after she was not properly admitted to the VIP area. According to those present, Bassad broke down in tears upon hearing of his firing, which had not yet been made official. However, Bassad himself denies being fired, stating he maintains excellent relations with the Netanyahus and that he resigned voluntarily weeks before the event.

Eyewitnesses described Sarah Netanyahu as very upset, yelling at both her husband and Bassad, blaming them for the mishap. She reportedly said, "Because of you, I argued here with people, you made me argue with people." The Prime Minister and his wife allegedly held Bassad responsible for the incident during the event at Teddy Stadium on Wednesday and decided to remove him. Drorit Steinmetz, acting Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office and close to the Netanyahus, was seen comforting Bassad after he cried.

Bassad has served the Netanyahu couple for seven years, managing their tours in Israel and abroad as well as personal matters. Officials close to Netanyahu said Sarah was angry about the arrangements but not hysterical, describing the situation as a logistical error that anyone would be upset about. The Prime Minister’s Office stated Bassad submitted a resignation letter two weeks prior for personal reasons and denied any connection between the resignation and the Maccabiah incident. Bassad emphasized that the claims of his firing are false and that he intends to continue working with the Netanyahus, adding he wanted to move forward with new goals after an intense three and a half years.