An Israeli lawmaker has alleged that Yair Netanyahu, son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was effectively exiled to Miami following an alleged assault on his father. The claim, made by Labor MK Naama Lazimi during a Knesset finance committee meeting, has sparked debate over government spending on Netanyahu’s extended stay in the United States.
Lazimi questioned the necessity of allocating 2.5 million shekels annually for Yair Netanyahu’s security, implying that public funds were being used to sustain his stay in Miami due to the alleged incident. She raised concerns over whether these expenses were justified, suggesting that Netanyahu’s actions had “disgraced a state symbol.”
The Likud party swiftly dismissed the allegations as “completely false and defamatory,” warning of potential legal action. They described the claims as part of an ongoing smear campaign by the political opposition.
During the same discussion, Lazimi also scrutinized public funding for the prime minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, questioning the financial source of her two-month stay abroad.
Yair Netanyahu left Israel in 2023 amid heightened political tensions, including the controversial dismissal and subsequent reinstatement of former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Initially reported to be living in Puerto Rico, he later relocated to a private community in Hallandale Beach, near Miami.
His legal representatives insist that his prolonged stay in the US is due to continuous “persecution,” which they argue has made it impossible for him to lead a “normal life” in Israel. They maintain that his relocation is not the result of an imposed exile but rather personal and political circumstances.
As the controversy unfolds, the allegations surrounding Yair Netanyahu remain a focal point in the broader political discourse regarding the Netanyahu family and state-funded expenditures.
