A day after Nepalese caregiver Tara Kumari, former caregiver to Sara Netanyahu's father Shmuel Ben-Artzi, was fired and asked to leave the prime minister's residence, troubling details about her past are emerging. Family members of the late Yaakov Atias from Kiryat Shmona told Israel Hayom on Thursday that they fired Kumari three years ago, after she abused the 82-year-old while he was in her care. The caregiver came to us from Moshav Avivim, where she had taken care of another elderly invalid, Atias' son-in-law Eliezer Cohen recalled. She took care of my father-in-law for five months until we fired her. My mother-in-law complained about the caregiver to her children, saying she had attacks of rage in which she cursed her and sometimes hit the table in anger. She also had angry outbursts at my father-in-law, terrifying him. The bad memories resurfaced this week when the family heard the news reports about the experiences Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had with Kumari. Sara Netanyahu fired the Nepalese foreign worker, who had been hired to care for her 96-year-old father, Shmuel Ben-Artzi, accusing her of negligence and illicitly withdrawing money from Ben-Artzi's bank account. In turn, Kumari has publicly accused Sara Netanyahu of withholding salary payments, mistreating her and once even physically abusing her. Life at the prime minister's residence is like living in a prison, Kumari told Army Radio several days ago. Even when I ask for a vacation, they don't give it to me. She added that Sara Netanyahu would call her trash. Cohen, the son-in-law of the deceased Kiryat Shmona man, said, When my wife heard [the news reports] she said, Poor Sara Netanyahu, the caregiver did the same thing to her that she did to my parents. Shlomi Atias, the deceased man's son, said: We immediately realized that the caregiver being discussed was the same person. We remember what happened. My mother, Sulika, suffered at her hands. She thought Kumari was a witch and asked us to fire her. Now she is saying to me, 'Do you see how God punishes evildoers? I told you, and you didn't believe me.' I am ready to testify in court about everything this woman did to my father. Attorney Johanna Lerman, who is representing Kumari on behalf of Physicians for Human Rights, said on Thursday, We are confident that Ms. Kumari underwent a background check showing her to be a good and dedicated worker before was employed inside the prime minister's residence. The fact of the matter is that, according to Ms. Kumari, the man in question was paralyzed and as a thin woman she could not withstand the physical rigors of his care and asked to leave. Kumari herself burst into tears yesterday at a press conference organized by Physicians for Human Rights and the Hotline for Migrant Workers. I am sad right now and miss my family, she said. I simply came to work hard and earn money for my family. They didn't even let me go back into the room and say goodbye to Mr. Ben-Artzi. They just removed my belongings and said, 'You can go.' I was confused and afraid. It was midnight and I was out in the street feeling helpless. I took care of Mr. Shmuel very well. They forced me to leave and I didn't understand why. Netanyahu family media adviser Ofer Lefler said, Sara Netanyahu is a dedicated daughter to her father and saved his life through her committed care. Any family member who encountered negligent treatment of their 96-year-old father would do as she did and terminate the employment of the caregiver.
