Yoni Netanyahu’s Partner Breaks Silence on Family Rift and Exclusion After His Death

Bruria Shaked-Okon, the longtime partner of Yoni Netanyahu who was killed during the 1976 Entebbe operation, has spoken publicly for the first time in nearly 50 years about her fraught relationship with the Netanyahu family. In an interview with Guy Peleg aired on July 31, 2026, she recounted being expelled from the shiva (mourning period) and feeling marginalized by Yoni’s family, including his brother Benjamin Netanyahu, who later became Israel’s prime minister.

Shaked-Okon described the moment she was informed of Yoni’s death by his sister-in-law Nava Barak and her intense grief. She recalled that Benjamin Netanyahu’s first question upon arriving at her home shortly after Yoni’s death was whether she was pregnant. She also revealed that she was asked to leave the shiva house due to overcrowding, a request she reluctantly accepted despite feeling deeply hurt.

She detailed her attempts over the years to address the cold treatment from the Netanyahu family, including a conversation with Yoni’s brother, Adi Netanyahu, who told her there was "no chemistry" between them and dismissed her as "simple" and unworthy of Yoni, who had prestigious academic achievements. Shaked-Okon said she was excluded from key commemorations, including the 50th anniversary of the Entebbe raid, and was never invited to official memorial events or to the President’s residence.

Regarding property rights, she explained that she was pressured to give up half of Yoni’s apartment to be recognized as a fallen soldier’s widow, a compromise she accepted but felt was unfair. She also expressed frustration with the official memorial ceremonies, which she felt were dominated by politicians and public figures who had no personal connection to Yoni.

This interview marks a rare and candid disclosure of the personal and emotional struggles Shaked-Okon faced in the decades following Yoni Netanyahu’s death, highlighting tensions within the family and the challenges of preserving Yoni’s legacy on her own terms.

Summary: Bruria Shaked-Okon, Yoni Netanyahu’s partner, revealed decades of exclusion and cold treatment by the Netanyahu family after his 1976 death, including being expelled from the shiva and sidelined from memorial events.

Points: - Yoni Netanyahu’s partner was expelled from the shiva due to overcrowding, causing her deep hurt. - Benjamin Netanyahu’s first question after Yoni’s death was whether she was pregnant. - She was excluded from key memorial events, including the 50th anniversary of Entebbe. - Yoni’s brother Adi dismissed her as "simple" and unworthy of Yoni. - She was pressured to give up half of Yoni’s apartment to be recognized as a fallen soldier’s widow. - She criticized official memorials for lacking personal connection to Yoni.

Topic: politics israel_relevant: true Entities: {"people": ["Bruria Shaked-Okon", "Yoni Netanyahu", "Benjamin Netanyahu", "Adi Netanyahu", "Guy Peleg", "Nava Barak", "Shaul Mofaz", "Ehud Barak"], "organizations": ["IDF", "Sayeret Matkal"], "places": ["Entebbe", "Ramat Hasharon", "Israel", "Abu Kabir"]}