Israel's Netanyahu requests extra security for son Yair in Miami: reports

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested enhanced security for his son Yair in the US, due to concerns of retaliation by Iran following the assassinations of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah's Fuad Shukr in Beirut, Israeli media reported on Tuesday. 

Haniyah's killing has seen regional tensions soar and led to ongoing threats by Iran, as well as its affiliates such as Hezbollah. There have been reports that Iran might target high-profile Israeli figures as revenge, or launch an assault on Israel.

Yair, known for his controversial online comments, had resided in Miami, Florida since April 2023 under the protection of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service, which is said to cost approximately 2.5 million shekels (roughly $684,080), according to Israeli news site Walla. 

Israeli news channel Channel 12 said that a request for enhanced protection for Yair was reportedly made by Yossi Shelley, director-general of Netanyahu's office, to the Advisory Committee for Personal Security.  

Shelley cited potential threats from Iran as the reason for the request. An unnamed security official told Channel 12 that the level of security provided to Israelis abroad is based on threat assessments and periodic evaluations with no evidence presented that Yair faces a significant risk to his life, so his security detail will not be beefed up.

Following these reports, Netanyahu’s office denied any requests concerning Yair’s security had been submitted. 

In response to the widespread protests in Israel against a planned judicial overhaul, the Netanyahu family requested increased security and a transfer of responsibility to the Shin Bet’s Personal Security Unit, which is responsible for protecting key political figures in Israel. 

The Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs, chaired by either Netanyahu or his deputy, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, approved this transfer, despite initial resistance from Shin Bet, which has been extended twice.  

Last month, the committee sanctioned another one-year extension, overriding the advisory board's recommendation for a shorter extension of six months or until the end of the conflict in Gaza. 

According to a report by The Times of Israel in March, the cost of securing Yair Netanyahu's stay in a luxury apartment complex in Miami, which includes a chauffeur and bodyguards from Shin Bet’s Unit 730, amounts to 200,000 shekels (approximately £41,389). The issue has been an ongoing saga in Israeli politics.

Netanyahu's wife Sara and their other son Avner also receive protection from Shin Bet. 

Netanyahu has nonetheless faced scrutiny among Israelis for keeping his son abroad, as the families of Gaza-held hostages have called on the Israeli leader to urgently secure a hostage deal for their release. 

The families have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the nearly 11-month-old and failing to secure the swift return of their relatives.