Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday evening issued a lengthy statement defending his wife, Sara, and his son, Yair, while sharply criticizing Israeli journalists Amit Segal and Yinon Magal, whom he accused of being “serial participants” in attacks against them.
Segal recently blamed Yair Netanyahu for opposing the appointment of the new military advocate general, Itai Ofir, claiming that his objection led the prime minister to publish a harsh statement against Defense Minister Israel Katz’s decision to name Ofir.
Magal also denounced Sara and Yair Netanyahu’s alleged interference in the appointment process, saying: “With all due respect to Yair and Sara, who are once again getting involved, I suggest they stop meddling in the way the State of Israel is run. This is not a family-run country. I suggest they stop poisoning the atmosphere and creating a false reality.”
Netanyahu responded: “For years, the media has not stopped defaming my beloved wife, Sara, a woman of valor, my life’s anchor, and the foundation of our family. She is a true heroine. She is the only prime minister’s wife in Israel’s history who continues to work in her profession, as a senior child psychologist in the public sector.”
He continued: “Throughout the war, Sara has accompanied hostage families, bereaved families, and the wives of reservists, offering them emotional support. She met at length with former hostages who returned from Hamas captivity. Over the years, she has helped lone soldiers, children with cancer, Holocaust survivors and families in distress, all while maintaining her professional duties. Sara also fights for animal rights, helping abused animals. She assists me and the State of Israel in meetings with world leaders who recognize her unique abilities and wisdom.”
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Yinon Magal: “I suggest that Sara and Yair stop interfering in the way the State of Israel is run.”
(Photo:Alex Kolomoisky)
“President Trump calls her ‘Bibi’s secret weapon,’” Netanyahu added. “She does all this out of a deep sense of mission and loyalty to national values, showing extraordinary emotional strength. These qualities are doubly required because, for thirty years, she has endured systematic and cruel defamation, frivolous lawsuits, and an ongoing campaign of character assassination, psychological manipulation and distortion of who she truly is.”
“All of this happens only because she is my wife,” Netanyahu said. “The same is true for my son, Yair. He works tirelessly and with great talent and dedication in the global public diplomacy effort for Israel. He faces hostile attacks but continues to fight for our cause out of deep patriotic love for the Land of Israel, the people of Israel, and our state. Like Sara, Yair is constantly slandered just for being part of my family. Both of them are also threatened by incited individuals who have vowed to kill them.”
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Amit Segal: “They have voted six times for Likud led by Benjamin Netanyahu, not by Yair.”
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
“For all these reasons, I want to make it clear: an attack on my family, which gives me the strength and support to lead, is an attack on me,” the prime minister declared. “Sara sacrificed her youth so I could lead the country. She has paid a heavy personal price and endured character assassination like no other prime minister’s wife in Israel, and perhaps in the world. Yair has been ridiculed since he was five years old, when a satirical TV show cruelly mocked him. The attacks never stopped during his teenage years and continue to this day.”
“It is time to say to all the slanderers and their enablers: enough with the lies and defamation against my family,” Netanyahu said. “I want to thank the many citizens who support Sara and Yair and appreciate their contribution. I am proud of my wife and son, who stand bravely on the front line and remain steadfast even when the toxic fire is directed straight at them. Sara and Yair, I love you and thank you for everything you do for me and for our beloved country.”
In response, Segal said, “The question is ultimately who runs the country. More than a million citizens have voted six times for Likud led by Benjamin Netanyahu, not by Yair. It’s that simple.”