Shin Bet Evacuates Yair Netanyahu From US Following Security Threat

Israel’s domestic intelligence agency announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s eldest son, Yair Netanyahu, was urgently flown back to Israel from the United States due to a significant security threat.

According to a statement released by the Shin Bet on Saturday evening, an assessment determined that there was a severe risk to harm Yair Netanyahu, prompting the decision to evacuate him alongside his security team. The agency did not disclose the origin of the threat.

Previously, US broadcaster Newsmax reported that Yair Netanyahu had been the target of an alleged Iranian assassination plot last December while residing in Florida. Israeli intelligence reportedly alerted US authorities upon discovering the plot, citing information from a US law enforcement official. This report followed remarks made by Benjamin Netanyahu to Israel’s Channel 14, in which he stated that Iran had attempted to murder one of his sons.

Newsmax stated that Yair Netanyahu was instructed to depart the area immediately, leaving behind his personal belongings to return directly to Israel under the protection of an Israeli security team.

The Times of Israel noted that Yair Netanyahu has lived in Florida for several years, where his lifestyle and state-funded security detail frequently attracted public attention and criticism from Israelis. Many questioned his continued residency abroad following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, contrasting it with the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of Israeli reservists.

Yair Netanyahu, a right-wing activist and podcaster, remains active on social media, where he frequently comments on Israeli politics and targets his father's political opponents, government critics, and journalists.