In a stunning turn of events, the Prime Minister’s Office has been ordered to pay a staggering NIS 900,000 ($250,000) in compensation to three former Prime Minister’s residence employees, according to the Haaretz website.
The judgment, handed down by the Jerusalem Labor Court, revealed shocking violations of employee rights, including insubordination, non-payment of overtime, and work on Shabbat and holidays. This decision comes as part of a compromise between the beleaguered parties.
This judgment adds another chapter to Sara Netanyahu’s controversial history, which includes past convictions for misusing public funds and mistreating employees. It is a stark reminder of the ongoing issues within the highest echelons of the Prime Minister’s residence. It raises serious questions about the treatment of staff behind Netanyahu’s closed doors.
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The plaintiffs in this explosive case are Aharon Naor and Yair Itzhaki, who served as operations workers at the residence from 2015 to 2021, and Yosef Joe Corson, the residence chef from 2015 to 2020. Naor and Itzhaki’s lawsuit paints a harrowing picture of abuse and harassment, describing their working conditions as akin to “modern slavery.”
Naor’s claims are particularly damning. He alleges that he was repeatedly ordered to travel to the Netanyahu family’s private home in Caesarea to deliver food meant for the Prime Minister’s residence, water plants, and clean the pool—all in blatant disregard of established procedures. The abuse he suffered, he contends, was not isolated to him but was pervasive among all employees, aimed solely at satisfying the whims of the residence’s occupants.
Itzhaki’s lawsuit echoes Naor’s accusations, adding that he tendered his resignation twice during his tenure due to the unbearable conditions, only to be persuaded to stay. Both men claim their lawsuits reveal just the tip of the iceberg, constrained by confidentiality agreements from exposing the full extent of their ordeal.
The charges against the residence’s management did not stop there. Corson, the former chef, detailed his grueling work schedule, which included cooking for private events hosted by the Netanyahu family. He was reportedly only allowed to finish his shifts with Sara Netanyahu’s explicit approval. “The scope of the work was enormous and almost inhuman,” Corson lamented, describing his six-day work weeks without additional pay for overtime or holiday work.
Corson further depicted the daily routine at the residence, where he served breakfast to the Prime Minister and his family in their private quarters. After meals, the dirty dishes would be left in an elevator for him to retrieve, underscoring the degrading nature of his duties.
The state countered these allegations, arguing that the lawsuit was filed in bad faith. The plaintiffs had signed agreements exempting them from the law on working hours and rest. The state also emphasized that such laws do not apply to positions of trust.
In the end, a compromise was reached, awarding Corson NIS 380,000 ($102,000), Yitzhak NIS 265,000 ($71,000), and Naor NIS 250,000 ($67,000) in compensation.
