PM's wife sues former housekeeper for libel

Sara Netanyahu files NIS 600,000 libel, invasion of privacy suit against Lillian Peretz. Attorney claims 'defendant turned her into a punching bag, cruelly damaging her name'

Eitan Glickman|Published: 03.05.12 , 17:58

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife Sara has filed a libel and invasion of privacy lawsuit this week for NIS 600,000 ($158,102) against her former housekeeper Lillian Peretz.

In the statement of claim filed at Haifa's Regional Labor Court, Netanyahu said she has kept quiet about the affair for a long time, while Peretz spread "a great number of degrading and malicious stories" about her.

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"The plaintiff has done everything she could to put an end to the quarrel, but both mediation attempts were thwarted by the defendant, or on behalf of her, after many hardships," claimed Yossi Cohen, Netanyahu's attorney.

"The plaintiff sadly watched her own public humiliation as the defendant turned her into a punching bag and damaged her name and reputation, cruelly and mercilessly, verbally attacking her while she was unable to respond due to her high public standing," the statement read.

According to the statement, Peretz also breached a specific confidential document, which she signed a number of times while she was employed at Netanyahu residence.

In January of 2010, Peretz filed a NIS 300,000 ($79,051) damages claim against the PM's wife, claiming Sara exploited and humiliated by her during the period she worked in the Netanyahu household in Caesarea.

At the time, Sara Netanyahu said that the suit is a smear campaign and that the complainant, Peretz, received warm and loving attention in the Netanyahu household.