Hebrew media reported that the son of Israeli Prime Minister Yair Netanyahu returned to the country to participate in service amid the war on Gaza, but he will not be in combat units. This comes after criticism arose regarding his presence outside the country.
With the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, following an unprecedented surprise attack by Hamas, the Prime Minister’s son, Benjamin Netanyahu, faced backlash for staying in Miami, USA. While tens of thousands of reservists were called to service, Yair Netanyahu was enjoying his time in Florida, where he has been residing for at least since April.
Despite the war on Gaza, Yair decided to remain in Miami, prompting anger from some members of the Israeli army. Angry soldiers expressed, "Netanyahu's son is on the beaches of Miami while we are at war."
The situation escalated as he launched an attack on the army and the Supreme Court. He stated in one of his posts that the decisions made by the Supreme Court led to changes in the IDF's rules of engagement along the Gaza border, which allowed Hamas fighters to approach and destroy the border fence.
The English-speaking Israeli newspaper "Jerusalem Post" reported that Netanyahu's son returned to Israel. It noted that he volunteered for a health organization that provides emergency medical services. The organization published a photo of him responding to phone calls for help in the operations room.
The 32-year-old has a previous connection with the organization, having raised donations for it, according to the newspaper. The organization’s founder and president, Eli Beer, mentioned that they have an online link for registration and volunteering, and when their staff saw Yair Netanyahu's name, they thought it was a prank. However, it indeed turned out to be the Prime Minister's son. He was quoted as saying he wanted to volunteer and do anything.
This means that Netanyahu's son, unlike the sons of other Israeli officials, will not serve in the troops that invaded the Gaza Strip, where some have sustained serious injuries from Palestinian fighters' fire.
