It was supposed to be another evening of donuts and candles organized by the Netanyahu family for the Likud faction's Knesset members.
But somehow, the one who ultimately stole the headlines of the event was actually Kaya - the dog of the Balfour Street family.
The dog apparently didn't like the Hanukkah party. Otherwise, it's hard to understand why she attacked MK Sharan Haskel and Or Alon, the husband of Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, during the party - who required medical treatment.
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One of the Knesset members who attended the event told Haredim 10: "Bibi was standing among the guests when the dog bit Sharan Haskel. Sharan is a veterinarian and she was playing with the dog, who is both old and deaf. The dog was probably scared. There were a lot of guests there anyway and I understood that she gets pretty scared when she's in a large crowd.
""Suddenly I noticed a wounded and bleeding chest. Netanyahu ran towards her and asked about her well-being, and within a few minutes a paramedic also arrived.".
Members of Knesset came to the event itself, a small number of them accompanied by their spouses, but not all. Ministers Silvan Shalom and Yisrael Katz, for example, came alone. Tzipi Hotovely came as a couple, and Gilad Erdan also came with his wife, along with the baby who was circumcised just last week.
""Sarah, by the way, was spending time with the baby right when the bite happened," the MK says.
The curiosity: It was precisely when they tried to sneak the dog into one of the rooms of the house that it ran past Tzipi Hotovely's husband - and bit him too.
The party itself was held in the yard. As for the Jerusalem cold, as always, the heaters were turned on, which don't really warm up. But, that's what happens when the living room of the house isn't really suitable for entertaining. "So it was a little cold for us, but the atmosphere was warm," says the MK. "I just hope Gilad's baby didn't catch a cold...""
The baby, by the way, gurgled and made sounds during the Prime Minister's speech, and in the lively atmosphere that prevailed there, someone smiled and said: "There are intermissions here...""
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein was honored with the lighting of the candles.
The surprise of the evening was the performance of singer Amir Benayoun, a singer who is very popular with Netanyahu. The first lady also spoke. As always, she praised her husband, "who works so hard," and that "we are all safe when the wheel is in his hands...""
Some said to her: "Why don't you run for politics?" - but she insisted: "I'm staying a psychologist...""
""Each of you is important," Bibi said, praising the coalition.
""The coalition chairman is here," Sarah reminded him.
""The finger of each of you present here is very important," he replied, "You are the locomotive that leads the country.".
What was interesting was to follow the seating arrangements of the MKs. Uncle Amsalem's table, Tzachi Hanegbi's table, and Haim Katz's table...
As a souvenir, by the way, they gave out a very modest gift: a leather-covered matchbox with a picture of a menorah on it. The refreshments were also modest: chopped vegetables, dips, and of course lots of donuts...
The dog Kaya was adopted by the Netanyahu family last July. The Prime Minister wrote on his Facebook page at the time: "Meet Kaya, ten years old, a gentle and good-natured dog who immediately integrated into our family.
""When my son Avner heard that she was facing anesthesia, he asked all of us to adopt her and thus save her life. Last weekend we received her with warmth and love.".
The one who actually received warm treatment from the dog was Secretary of State John Kerry, who, according to the photographs, appeared to be enjoying her company during his meeting last week with the Prime Minister.
MK Haskel herself tweeted after the event: "To all those who demand my well-being, as someone who used to catch snakes, a small bite from a dog will not deter me!""
