The wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has violated the nation’s lockdown restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic when she had a hairdresser come to their official residence to give her a haircut, according to a report.
Hairdressers, who are not deemed essential workers, gave Sara Netanyahu the haircut on Friday, the eve of the Sukkot holiday, The Times of Israel reported, citing the Yedioth Ahronoth daily.
The law calls for fines of 500 new shekels – about $150 – for being in another person’s home, though that is generally levied on the visitor, not the host, according to the news site. It was unclear whether Sara Netanyahu would pay the fine.
Sources representing her said she believed the taxpayer-funded haircut was permitted because it was for an appearance in an informational video, according to the report.
The prime minister has been allowed to continue having his hair done due to his public appearances, but his wife is not considered a public figure.
“Sara Netanyahu strictly adheres to the Health Ministry guidelines. During the lockdown she did not leave home and she manages her work routine as a child psychologist mainly through Zoom meetings and telephone calls,” the sources told the outlet.
“Before the Sukkot holiday, Mrs. Netanyahu filmed an informational video in the service of the public in which she called on everyone to wear masks. Since she is an influential public figure and this was an informational video in the service of the public, she assumed she was allowed to use the services of a hairdresser.”
Both she and the hairdresser wore masks and gloves, the statement said, adding that she “even asked the barber to avoid conversation out of caution.”
In the clip, published on Sara Netanyahu’s personal Instagram account, she calls on the public to wear masks and adhere to social-distancing rules.
Israel, which has been hard hit by the outbreak, had the world’s worst daily infection numbers per capita last week as it overtook the US for the first time and led the global per-capita deaths.
