On Sunday, a letter revealed that a criminal investigation is being conducted into Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The inquiry follows a letter shared on X by Israeli journalist and Knesset member Naama Lazimi, confirming the investigation by the Israeli police. The state attorney’s office, in response to Lazimi’s demand, disclosed that the investigation has been ongoing since December 26, 2024. It is being led by the national police force with support from the cyber department of the state attorney’s office.
According to details provided in the letter, the investigation was initiated following a report by the Israeli Channel 12’s Uvda news program. This report brought to light allegations against Sara Netanyahu for purportedly threatening witnesses involved in her husband’s criminal prosecution and inciting unrest against left-wing politicians. Allegedly, she used a middleman to threaten the state attorney prosecuting her husband and conveyed derogatory remarks about prosecution witnesses. The report also claimed she incited unrest against a bereaved leftist family, the Farkash family, who hosted protests in their home, further intensifying the political tensions.
Initially, the police labeled the Uvda report as “gossip,” while Netanyahu’s Likud party attempted to discredit the program. Likud suggested that Uvda functions not as a journalistic endeavor, but as a strategic maneuvre to undermine the right-wing government using misleading information and anonymous sources.
This development comes amid ongoing legal challenges for Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is currently facing corruption charges in three separate cases. Despite standing trial in December 2024, Netanyahu has maintained his innocence, attributing the charges to a campaign orchestrated by Israeli media. Additionally, he is being pursued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes during the recent conflict in Gaza.
The ongoing investigation into Sara Netanyahu adds a complex layer to the legal and political challenges facing the Netanyahu household. For more information on these developments, you can read the full article on JURIST here.