PM Netanyahu's Son Yair Changes Name to Yonatan Hon Amid Family Name Shifts

Yair Netanyahu, son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has legally changed his name to Yonatan Hon, according to a report by Haaretz on Wednesday. Documents from the Israeli Tax Authority confirm the name change occurred within the past year and a half, with tax deduction certificates issued under his old name in December 2024 and under his new name this year, both linked to the same ID number. The report notes that the new tax documents list a fictitious address, "Balfour 0."

This revelation follows recent public interest in Yair Netanyahu's activities in Miami and his social media presence, which has previously included various pseudonyms such as "Jesse Natan," "Yair Natan," and "Yair Hon." The surname Hon is historically linked to Yair's maternal grandfather, Shmuel Hon, before it was Hebraized to Ben-Artzi. Similarly, Yair's brother Avner Netanyahu also changed his name to Avi Avner Segal when purchasing a property near London in 2022 for £502,500, paying in full without a mortgage. Avner also enrolled in a master's program at Regent's Park College, Oxford, under the name Avi Segal, obscuring his connection to his father.

Prime Minister Netanyahu himself has a history of name changes, having used "Ben Nitai" during his time in the United States. The article explains that Israeli law permits a name change once every seven years, with exceptions for reverting to a previous name or combining names, subject to approval by the Population and Immigration Authority. Until the seven-year period expires, the former name remains on official documents such as ID cards and passports.

In a recent podcast interview, Benjamin Netanyahu explained why he and his wife Sarah chose not to name Yair after his late brother Yonatan Netanyahu, who died in the 1976 Entebbe operation, to avoid placing a heavy burden on their son. The family’s name changes reflect a broader pattern of personal identity adjustments within the Netanyahu family.