Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during an interview on Monday that Iran attempted to kill one of his sons. He did not say when the assassination plot took place or which of his two sons was the target.
Netanyahu made the remarks during an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, a sympathetic conservative media outlet. He was responding to a question about his request for increased protection from Israeli law enforcement for all prime ministerial candidates – a request the prime minister made after Israeli security agency Shin Bet reportedly chose not to assign a security detail to Netanyahu’s leading rival in the upcoming election, Gadi Eisenkot.
Shin Bet is providing extended five-year protection for Netanyahu’s family, so the refusal to provide protection for former army chief Eisenkot was met with accusations of hypocrisy and negligence against the incumbent administration. Netanyahu told Channel 14 that around-the-clock protection for candidates was “not a luxury,” and proceeded to disclose the plot against his son to demonstrate why.
“This is an unbelievable case. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons,” he said.
“Is this part of the intelligence provided to you?” asked Channel 14 military correspondent Noam Amir.
“Iran tried to murder one of my sons. And this is why this promise is more than a luxury – without it, they could succeed,” Netanyahu replied.
“People need to show some restraint, especially during an election campaign,” he added. “I spoke with the Shin Bet chief and asked him to provide appropriate security to any prime ministerial candidate.”
Benjamin Netanyahu has two sons, Yair and Avner. His older son Yair lives in Miami, Florida, and is more of a public figure due to his online activism, while Avner lives in Israel. He also has a daughter from his first marriage, Noa Netanyahu-Roth, who lives in Israel. He did not say which of his sons was the target of the alleged Iranian assassination plot, but if it was Yair in Miami, there would be implications for U.S. national security, as well.
The Times of Israel (TOI) reported on Monday that other Israeli media outlets knew of the rumored Iranian plot against Netanyahu’s family and it was “known to the Israeli security establishment for several months.”
According to TOI, this was why Shin Bet decided to extend security protection for Netanyahu’s family in July. Israel’s Channel 12 seemed to think Yair Netanyahu was the target of the Iranian plot, although it could obtain official confirmation. Yari’s security detail has been criticized in Israel because he spends most of his time abroad, greatly increasing the expense of providing him with two Shin Bet bodyguards.