{
  "id": 5510594,
  "title": "Ruth Bar breaks silence on her 1993 affair with Netanyahu, his early political rise - interview",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/ruth-bar-breaks-silence-on-her-1993-affair-with-netanyahu-his-early",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T07:18:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-907577"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 1993, Benjamin Netanyahu, then a rising political figure in Israel, confessed to having an affair with Ruth Bar, his strategic adviser during a primary race for the Likud leadership position. This admission came after Netanyahu's rival, David Levy, attempted to blackmail him with a tape of their affair. Despite the scandal, Netanyahu chose to confess live on television, leading to a public outcry and ultimately, his wife Sara's decision to leave him. However, Netanyahu returned to his political career and continued to rise in prominence. Ruth Bar, who remained anonymous for decades, has recently broken her silence, revealing that her work has been centered around the development of a formula to influence the brain and decision-making mechanisms. Her upcoming book, \"Brain Under the Influence,\" is set to provide insights into her research and analysis of various Israeli election campaigns.",
  "summary": "Thirty-three years after Netanyahu’s live TV confession, Ruth Bar speaks publicly for the first time about their professional relationship and his early political instincts.",
  "key_points": [
    "Benjamin Netanyahu had an affair with Ruth Bar in 1993",
    "Netanyahu confessed on TV after rival's blackmail attempt",
    "Ruth Bar now reveals her work on brain influence"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Ruth Bar's decision to speak out about her past affair with Netanyahu shifts the focus from a personal scandal to her own work and research on influencing decision-making mechanisms.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}