Yair Netanyahu, the eldest son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has officially changed his legal name to Yonatan Hon, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which cites tax documents. His 2026 tax return was filed under the new name, while retaining the same ID number and address used in his 2024 filing—when he was still listed as Yair Netanyahu.
A Permanent Decision
In Israel, an official name change cannot be reversed for seven years—a legal provision underscoring the seriousness and permanence of the decision.
Symbolic Meaning Behind the New Name
The new first name, Yonatan, honors his late uncle, Yonatan (‘Yoni’) Netanyahu—the brother of Prime Minister Netanyahu—who was killed in 1976 during Operation Entebbe, the Israeli military’s daring hostage-rescue mission in Uganda. Yoni Netanyahu is widely revered as a national hero in Israel.
The surname ‘Hon’ traces back to his maternal grandfather, Shmuel Ben-Artzi, whose original family name was Hun before it was Hebraized. According to Haaretz, Yair had already been using ‘Hun’ informally on some social media profiles for several years—but this marks the first formal, legal adoption of the name.
Life in Florida and Public Profile
Now 34, Yair Netanyahu has lived in Florida, USA, for several years. He is known for his outspoken political commentary, right-wing activism, a popular podcast, and a highly provocative presence on social media. He has also been linked to far-right figures in both Europe and the United States.
A Family Tradition of Name Changes
This is not the first time a member of the Netanyahu family has formally changed their name. His younger brother, Avner Netanyahu, adopted the surname Segal—the maiden name of their paternal grandmother—appearing under that name in property purchase documents in London. Avner explained at the time that the change was motivated by security concerns during his studies in the UK.
Even Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself used a different name—Ben Nitai—while studying at MIT in the 1970s, reportedly for ease of pronunciation and integration.