Yair Netanyahu, the 35-year-old son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has returned to Israel from Florida due to threats against his safety from Iran, according to reports from AP and other foreign media on the 30th.
Israel's domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet, confirmed the threat against Yair in a statement. Shin Bet stated, "There was a tangible threat to Yair Netanyahu's safety, and after assessing the situation, we decided to evacuate him and his security team to Israel," as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
The news of Yair's return was initially reported by the conservative U.S. outlet Newsmax. Citing sources, the outlet claimed that Iranian agents had already been dispatched to the Miami area where Yair resides, monitoring his residence and movements. It also reported that Yair left for Israel immediately without packing his belongings.
The threat against Yair has also been acknowledged by Prime Minister Netanyahu himself. In an interview with Channel 14 last week, he stated that Iran was attempting to assassinate his son. However, he did not specify whether the target was his eldest son Yair or his younger son Avner.
Yair, who moved to Miami in 2023, has been living abroad while Israel engages in conflicts with Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. AP reported that Yair has occasionally acted as an unofficial advisor to his father, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and has stirred controversy with his statements on social media.
On August 28, Yair posted on social media platform X that the Falkland Islands are Argentine territory. The Falklands, located near Argentina, have long been a point of contention between the U.K. and Argentina, leading to backlash in Britain. In response, Yair stated, "The number of casualties caused by British forces in Afghanistan and Iraq is greater than those in Gaza," adding that neither country had ever attacked or posed a direct threat to Britain.
Yair also attracted attention this year by changing his name to 'Yonatan Hoon' on his Israeli tax return. According to local daily Haaretz, Yair filed his 2026 tax return under the name Yonatan Hoon, but his address and registration number remained the same as in the 2024 return. Yonatan is the name of Yair's uncle, and Hoon is his maternal grandfather's surname.
The Times of Israel reported that the intention behind Yair Netanyahu's desire to be identified by a new name is unclear. However, he continues to use his birth name, Yair Netanyahu, on social media. His father, Prime Minister Netanyahu, also used the name Ben Nitai while working at MIT in the 1970s, which he explained was to make it easier for Americans to pronounce.
Yair, who is active as a right-wing podcaster, has a strong presence on social media. In his podcast, he comments on Israeli politics and criticizes his father's political opponents as well as journalists who are critical of the government, according to Al Jazeera.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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