Yair Netanyahu has legally changed his name to Yonatan Hun, tax records show
Haaretz says PM’s eldest son appears in 2026 filings with new name under same ID number, for reasons unknown; new surname is a reference to his maternal grandfather’s original name
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Yair Netanyahu, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s eldest son, has legally changed his name to Yonatan Hun, according to a Wednesday report by Haaretz, citing tax documents.
The report said that Netanyahu’s 2026 Israeli tax records were filed under his new name, but with the same identification number and same address as his 2024 tax statements, which were filed under his birth name.
Official name changes in Israel are irreversible for seven years.
It is unclear whether Netanyahu intends to be identified under the new name, or has changed it for other purposes. On social media, he maintains his original name.
Yonatan is the name of Yair’s uncle, the prime minister’s brother. Yonatan (Yoni) Netanyahu was famously killed in 1976 during Operation Entebbe to rescue Israeli hostages held in Uganda. Hun is the original surname of his maternal grandfather, Shmuel Ben-Artzi, who was known as Samuel Hun before he Hebraicized his name.
According to the report, the premier’s eldest son has used the surname Hun in various social media profiles for several years, though it was unclear why he decided to change it officially now.
Netanyahu, 34, is a firebrand right-wing activist and podcaster, and has resided in Florida for the past several years. He is known for his provocative social media presence and association with far-right European and American politicians and public figures.
מה אתם יודעים, מתברר שהפוטושופ של האמא עובר בגנים pic.twitter.com/8lAnraUr2N
— Adi Messika (@adimessika) July 2, 2026
Netanyahu’s other son, Avner, also officially changed his name in the past, appearing on real estate records in London as Avi Segal after buying an apartment there — a legal alias he adopted based on his paternal grandmother’s maiden name. He said last year that the name change was prompted by security concerns as he studied in the British capital.
Netanyahu himself changed his name to Benjamin “Ben” Nitai when studying at MIT in the 1970s. He later said he had done so to make it easier for Americans to pronounce his name.
The Times of Israel Community.