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(NewsNation) — This week, many Israelis were outraged when, citing fears of an Iranian attack on his son, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested an increase in security for Yair Netanyahu, who lives in Miami.
According to The Jerusalem Post, “Yair Netanyahu, 33, has been living in Miami since April 2023 and is protected by Shin Bet at an estimated annual cost of approximately 2.5 million shekels.”
In American dollars, that’s $683,000 of Israeli taxpayers’ money going to protect the prime minister’s son in America.
The Jerusalem Post then added: “Yossi Shelli, the Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office, approached the Advisory Committee for the Protection of Public Figures in recent days, asking them to consider strengthening the security measures around Yair Netanyahu, who is currently living under the protection of two Shin Bet guards.”
The request has outraged Israelis.
“And (Netanyahu) wants more money for his son who isn’t even fighting in the war — and has been hiding in Miami the whole time? This is outrageous!” one wealthy Israeli in Tel Aviv (who, despite being over 50, has rejoined the reserves) told me.
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JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – JANUARY 22: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prays with his sons Yair and Avner at the Western Wall, Judaism holiest site on January 22, 2013 in Jerusalem, Israel. Israel’s general election voting has begun today as polls show Netanyahu is expected to return to office with a narrow majority. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images) -
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – JANUARY 22: (ISRAEL OUT) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu watches his son Yair Netanyahu cast his ballot with by wife Sara Netanyahu at a polling station on election day on January 22, 2013 in Jerusalem, Israel. Israel’s general election voting has begun today as polls show Netanyahu is expected to return to office with a narrow majority. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images) -
JERUSALEM – MARCH 31: Yair (L) and Avner Netanyahu, the sons of Incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, applaud during the session swearing-in their father’s new coalition government in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, on March 31, 2009 in Jerusalem. Netanyahu announced his new government and outlined its plans to solve the economic crisis and make peace with the Arabs. (Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)
Yair Netanyahu’s luxury apartment
In addition to security, Yair lives in a $5,000-a-month luxury apartment in Miami — it is unclear who pays for that apartment.
But it’s not as if Yair hasn’t visited his home country since the war. Insiders tell me he took a luxe trip home earlier this summer — thanks to his dad.
“When Netanyahu came to visit the States and flew down to talk to Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in July, he took his son back to Israel with him on the government plane,” the insider said.
Yair spent “about two weeks” in Israel and was spotted working out at a gym in Jerusalem before flying back via an Israeli state-owned carrier, El Al, to Miami, my sources said.
To be fair, Yair has been laying low while in Miami.
According to one club promoter in town, the son of the PM “used to go out to clubs like LIV all the time before the war” but now is rarely seen despite “massive amounts of paparazzi waiting for him outside of his apartment building every day.”
A rep for Netanyahu referred me to David Baker, the prime minister’s spokesman, who didn’t return emails.
Yair Netanyahu’s past scandals
Yair, the profligate scion, has been at the center of many scandals in the past — including a 2015 tape in which he was recorded talking about hiring prostitutes and a corrupt gas deal, posting incendiary social media about Turkey and calling former Israeli PM Ehud Barak a “pedophile.”
Last year, an Israeli court ruled Yair must pay damages to former Labor Knesset member Stav Shaffir after losing a libel suit over a series of offensive tweets. Yair is appealing the ruling by the court, which characterized his statements as “racist and harassment.” Damages to Shaffir were set at $19,000.
“Yair is one of the most hated men in Israel — and he doesn’t even live here,” another Israeli told me.
Meanwhile, as Yair loafs around Miami, fellow Israelis with multimillion-dollar gigs are leaving work to fight for their country. Multiple people running tech companies are on the front lines of the war, including Or Shoval, a 29-year-old Israeli tech startup CEO; Eyal Bino, founding partner of venture capital firm 97212 Ventures; and many more, according to The Washington Post.
According to social media, former Waze CEO Noam Bardim moved from the USA back to Israel after the attacks to help with the war effort, and Simply exec Elad Maimon also joined the effort.
