Netanyahu family's name-change trail: Yair Netanyahu follows father Benjamin and brother Avner. What is he called now?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s eldest son Yair Netanyahu has reportedly changed his legal name to Yonatan Hun, a move that has drawn attention after official records revealed the change. The new identity appeared in Israel Tax Authority documents, while his identification details, comprising the same tax identification number and address information. remained unchanged, according to Haaretz, an Israeli daily.

The name change was discovered through tax-related records that listed Yair Netanyahu under his new name. Earlier documents from December 2024 reportedly carried his previous name, while more recent records showed the name Yonatan Hun alongside the same identification information.

The reason behind the reported change has not been publicly explained. However, the new name appears to have links to Netanyahu’s family background. “Yonatan” is associated with Benjamin Netanyahu’s elder brother Yonatan Netanyahu, who was killed during the 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue operation. The surname “Hun” has been linked to the original family name of Yair’s maternal grandfather, Shmuel Ben Artzi, before it was changed.

Benjamin Netanyahu's name change

The development has also renewed attention on previous instances where members of the Netanyahu family used different names. Benjamin Netanyahu himself reportedly used the name “Ben Nitai” while studying in the United States. According to the report, Netanyahu adopted the name because he planned to move to the US and wanted an identity that was easier to pronounce and more commercially appealing.

Younger son's name change

His younger son Avner Netanyahu also used another name in official records abroad, including during a property registration process in the United Kingdom, where he was listed as “Avi Avner Segal”.

The apartment was purchased in England near London in 2022 for £502,500, according to Britain’s land registry records, reported Ynet news. The entire amount was paid to the seller, and no charge was registered on the property, indicating that the purchase was made without a mortgage or loan.

Around the same period, Avner Netanyahu enrolled for a master’s degree at Regent’s Park College in Oxford. He registered for the programme, which focused on the history of the Near East and archaeology, using the name Avi Segal rather than his known identity, making his connection to his father less apparent.

The college’s internal profile page listed him as Avi Segal, and the same name was also used for his institutional email address.

Segal was the original family surname of Tzila, Benjamin Netanyahu’s mother and the brothers’ grandmother, before she married Benzion Netanyahu.

About Yair Netanyahu

Yair Netanyahu, who has frequently remained in the spotlight because of his political views and public statements, has been living in the US in recent years. The reported name change comes as his social media presence and public identity continue to remain associated with the name Yair Netanyahu.

The change has sparked discussion because of its connection to a broader pattern within the Netanyahu family of using alternative names, whether for personal, historical or privacy-related reasons. While no official explanation has been given for Yair Netanyahu’s reported decision, the adoption of “Yonatan Hun” appears to reflect references to both his paternal and maternal family.