The Cost of Protecting Netanyahu's Son in the United States

Israeli Channel 12 reported that Yair, the son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is receiving costly security protection in the United States. The channel noted that securing Yair's stay in an upscale residential complex in Miami, with a driver and two personal guards from the elite 730 Unit of the Shin Bet, costs the state an estimated 200,000 shekels (55,000 dollars) per month, totaling 680,000 dollars so far. It is unclear why Yair is being protected by Unit 730, which is typically responsible for guarding only the seven senior government officials in Israel: the President, Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Speaker of the Knesset, Opposition Leader, and Chief Justice. Other protected individuals receive security from the lower-ranked "Magan" unit in the Prime Minister's Office.