Israel says Netanyahu’s son ‘urgently evacuated’ from the US after threat

What the report says

Israeli authorities said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s eldest son, Yair Netanyahu, was flown back to Israel from the United States after what the domestic security service described as a serious threat against him. In a statement cited by Al Jazeera, the Shin Bet said it decided to urgently evacuate Yair Netanyahu and his security detail after assessing the risk. The agency did not identify who made the threat or give further details about its source.

Al Jazeera reported that the case follows earlier claims in Israeli and US media about an alleged assassination plot. Newsmax said this week that Yair Netanyahu had been the target of an Iranian plot last December while living in Florida, and that US authorities were informed. Those claims were linked to remarks by Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview in which he said Iran had tried to kill one of his sons.

Yair Netanyahu, a right-wing activist and podcaster, had lived in Florida for several years and was regularly protected by Israeli security personnel, according to the report. His extended stay in the US has previously drawn criticism in Israel, especially after the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, when many Israelis were mobilized for military service. The episode highlights the continuing security concerns around Netanyahu’s family and the political attention his son’s public presence often attracts.