A younger Netanyahu for prime minister? ‘I hope not,’ says Bibi

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political career may be closing in on four decades — and if he finishes his current term as PM in 2019, he will have become Israel’s longest-serving head of state — but he apparently hopes his children don’t follow in his footsteps.

In a clip from an interview with Fox News set to air on Sunday, Netanyahu answered a resounding “no! no” when asked whether he encourages his children to enter political life. Netanyahu has a daughter, Noa, 39, from a previous marriage and two sons, Yair, 26 and Avner, 22, with his wife Sara Netanyahu.

In recent months, as Yair Netanyahu has entered the spotlight and made headlines locally and internationally, the Hebrew media has began to speculate that Netanyahu is grooming his second-born son to eventually take his place in the political world.

Netanyahu, however, has now expressed different hopes for his son’s future.

Asked to elaborate on why he would prefer his children choose different paths, Netanyahu said “it is a very tough life.” He added, however, that his attempts to discourage his kids don’t necessarily help.

And when pressed for more details, the prime minister said he believed one of his sons was interested in entering politics, but did not specify whether it was Yair or Avner.

“Maybe one. I am not sure. But I hope not,” he said.

Asked if he shares his misgivings about political life with his kids, Netanyahu said, “Yeah I do. Of course I tell him that.”

Yair Netanyahu, who is widely believed to harbor political ambitions, has drawn significant media attention in the last few months, particularly over a series of controversial social media posts.

He most recently was criticized by Jewish groups and opposition lawmakers for a cartoon containing anti-Semitic themes he posted on his Facebook page last month.

The cartoon features references to Jewish billionaire and philanthropist George Soros, the Illuminati and some sort of lizard creature. It takes aim at his parents’ critics, including former prime minister Ehud Barak, lawyer and Labor party activist Eldad Yaniv, and Menny Naftali, a former caretaker at the Prime Minister’s Residence who is at the heart of allegations of wrongdoing over which Sara Netanyahu, Yair’s mother, is facing indictment.

Although Yair did not apologize for the cartoon, he later removed it from his Facebook page. His posting of the cartoon was praised by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and the neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer, who called him a “total bro” and in a banner on its homepage with a picture of the younger Netanyahu proclaimed itself “The World’s #1 Yair Netanyahu fansite.”

He also sparked controversy over this summer on a number of occasions, including for saying the “thugs” from Antifa and Black Lives Matter were more dangerous than neo-Nazis following the violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville; a Facebook response to a post by a left-wing organization which later filed suit against him for defamation; and for allegedly refusing to pick up after his dog.

The 26-year-old Netanyahu has generally drawn criticism for living a life of privilege at taxpayers’ expense and for his crude social media posts.

The Netanyahu family is also facing a slew of corruption allegations. The prime minister has been questioned about his ties to executives in media, international business and Hollywood. His associates have been engulfed in a probe relating to a possible conflict of interest involving the $2 billion purchase of German submarines. Israel’s attorney general has said he intends to indict the prime minister’s wife, Sara, for fraud over her misuse of public funds to purchase meals and hire private chefs at the official residence.

Yair Netanyahu, who has reportedly taken a leading role in his father’s aggressive social media platform, has also been drawn into the scandals.

Australian billionaire James Packer has reportedly lavished Yair with gifts that included extended stays at luxury hotels in Tel Aviv, New York and Aspen, Colorado, as well as the use of his private jet and dozens of tickets for concerts by Packer’s former fiancée, Mariah Carey.

Police are trying to determine whether these constitute bribes, since Packer is reportedly seeking Israeli residency status for tax purposes.

The prime minister has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, portraying the accusations as a witch hunt against him and his family by a hostile media. He has dismissed increasingly vocal calls from critics for him to step down.

Times of Israel staff and AP contributed to this report.