Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife, Sara, on Wednesday claimed she and her two sons are being abused by the protesters during rallies against the prime minister's Jerusalem residence.
Throughout the summer, thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to call on Netanyahu to resign, protesting his handling of the country’s coronavirus crisis and saying he should not remain in office while on trial for corruption charges.
"There are hooligans and anarchists who shout 'death to Bibi (the prime minister's nickname) and Sara,'" said Netanyahu. "Just yesterday, I saw that someone admitted that some demonstrators defecate in people's yards. It is not fake news when the prime minister says it."
"People are going to die. I didn’t hear anybody condemning this anarchism. People do lines and come [to protests] doped up," she said, implying some protesters are using cocaine before rallies.
"I condemn any violence on the right. I don’t want to hear any 'death to Arabs' or 'death to leftists' calls. Most right-wing demonstrators do it respectfully with songs and flags, I can hear them. If there is a rogue minority – the prime minister and I condemn it."
Netanyahu also criticized the center-left lawmakers for failing to address obscene sexual comments launched at her during protests and online.
"I haven't heard [Defense Minister Benny] Gantz or [Foreign Minister Gabi] Ashkenazi condemn the sexual violence against me," said Netanyahu. "I would expect the most from [Labor MK Merav] Michaeli, I did not hear her condemn it. I have not heard from [Meretz MK] Tamar Zandberg, who only knows how to shout and shout."
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Protesters holding inflatable genitalia with salacious messages directed at the prime minister's wife
Netanyahu bashed the media for allegedly pushing false narratives against her and her family, while ignoring alleged scandals pertaining to lawmakers on the left.
"What is this hypocrisy? End the shaming against me, my husband and his children. In the end, we are people and we also have souls," said Netanyahu.
Netanyahu also denied recent rumors about her medical condition, labeling them "fake news", and said she has been absent from the public eye lately due to the coronavirus pandemic canceling many official events and gatherings, which she usually attends with her husband.
When asked whether members of the prime minister's family were urging him to go to elections for fear he would have to vacate the prime minister's office to Gantz, she responded, saying the allegations were "nonsense" and "fake news."