Yair Netanyahu, son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, has been living in the area since last year, and his extended stay has ignited something of a firestorm back home. The temperature ratcheted up a few notches with his father's recent request for increased security for the 33-year-old — reportedly paid for by Israeli taxpayers.
Yair Netanyahu has been protected by the Shin Bet, AKA the Israel Security Agency (ISA), the equivalent of the Central Intelligence Agency in the U.S. The estimated annual cost: 2.5 million shekels — nearly $700,000 in the U.S. This protection, provided despite Yair's life far from the front lines of Israel's current war against Hamas, has raised eyebrows and sparked outrage among Israelis, many of whom are experiencing the ongoing conflict firsthand.
Yair, meanwhile, has been keeping a low profile in South Florida, retreating from the public eye and mostly avoiding the paparazzi who regularly stake out his luxury apartment in Hallandale Beach (a recent scare notwithstanding).
According to the Jerusalem Post, the controversy deepened when Netanyahu recently requested additional security measures for Yair, citing potential threats from Iran in retaliation for Israel's assassination of a key figure in Tehran. The request conveyed by Yossi Shelli, the director-general of the prime minister's office, is currently under review by Israel's Advisory Committee for the Protection of Public Figures.
The committee asked for concrete information to justify the need for more resources in light of the strain on Israeli security services during wartime.
Despite the scrutiny, Yair's life in the Miami metro seems largely undisturbed. While his peers face the realities of war back home, he continues to reside in a $5,000-a-month luxury apartment — a contrast that has fueled criticism from Israelis who view his presence here as a symbol of privilege disconnected from the struggles of his home nation.
Yair Netanyahu, is now residing at 101 Diplomat Parkway in Hallandale Beach, FL. Despite eligibility for reserve duty until 40, he's opted to stay in a $5,000/month rental with Israeli Shin Bet bodyguards.
— جاله (@_Jala__) February 17, 2024
Meanwhile, 360,000 reservists are on duty, contributing to the #Genocide pic.twitter.com/nZOdCqYEPX
"🔴His bodyguards escort him to the sauna while the rest of his generation are being killed in Gaza...
— FlyingBeagle (@FlyingBeagle_) March 30, 2024
Israel's Channel 12 reports on the life of Yair Netanyahu, the pampered son of Netanyahu, living in Miami far from the war.
While 360,000 of his fellow citizens have been… https://t.co/LYkhA5vUho
