Jerusalem / AA

- Haaretz reported the existence of tax documents bearing the new name with the same identification number.

- Hon is the family name of his maternal grandfather, and Yonatan is his uncle who was killed in Entebbe in 1976.

- Yair Netanyahu did not immediately comment on the newspaper's report, and the reasons for his name change remain unclear.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Yair, the son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, changed his name with the authorities to Yonatan Hon.

The newspaper added on Wednesday evening that the name change took place two and a half years ago.

It reported that it possesses documents issued by the Israel Tax Authority proving the use of the new name with the same tax identification number.

It explained that tax deduction certificates issued in December 2024 bore the name Yair Netanyahu, while subsequent certificates were issued under the name "Yonatan Hon" with the same identification data.

According to the newspaper, an official name change on the Israeli identity card is a final procedure that cannot be reversed for seven years.

It said that Netanyahu's son is registered with the Tax Authority and the National Insurance Institute as a self-employed worker in the advertising field.

It added that during his stay in the U.S. state of Florida, he founded a company in Connecticut specializing in organizing lectures.

According to the newspaper, the new name is inspired by Netanyahu family history: Hon is the family name of his maternal grandfather, Shmuel Ben Artzi, while the name Yonatan refers to his paternal uncle, who was killed during a hostage rescue operation at Entebbe Airport in 1976.

It noted that Benjamin Netanyahu had changed his name to "Ben Nitai" while in the United States in the 1980s, aiming to use a name easier to pronounce, according to him.

It added that Avner, Yair's younger brother, changed his name about five years ago to "Avi Segal," and later said the move was for security reasons during his stay in England for study.

Yair Netanyahu did not immediately comment on the newspaper's report, and the reasons for his name change remain unclear.

Yair is a controversial figure due to his posts against his father's opponents and his presence outside Israel during the genocide war that Tel Aviv has been waging in the Gaza Strip since October 8, 2023.

The elder Netanyahu has been wanted since 2024 to appear before the International Criminal Court on charges of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza.

In 1948, Israel was established on lands seized by armed Zionist militias that committed massacres and displaced at least 750,000 Palestinians, and Tel Aviv refuses to withdraw and establish the Palestinian state stipulated in UN resolutions.