Yair Netanyahu Changes Name Amid Family Scrutiny

Yair Netanyahu, the son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has changed his legal name to Yonatan Hon, as reported by an Israeli newspaper in July 2026. The name change was discovered through tax-withholding documents, which showed that records from December 2024 still listed him as Yair Netanyahu, while the new name appeared in 2025.

The surname Hon is linked to his maternal grandfather, Shmuel, who originally had the surname Hoon. Yair's brother, Avner Netanyahu, changed his name to Avi Segal five years ago.

The Netanyahu family has a history of name changes, with Benjamin Netanyahu having lived under the name Ben Nitai in the 1980s. The family is currently under scrutiny, as Benjamin Netanyahu faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes related to the Gaza conflict.

Yair has also faced criticism for his business dealings in the U.S., including connections to far-right groups.