Netanyahu's Children Are Coming Under Fire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's sons are facing criticism from some Israelis and pro-Palestinians amid their country's war with Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Netanyahu declared "we are at war," after an unprecedented attack by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants on southern Israel on October 7. At least 1,400 people in Israel, most of whom were civilians, have been killed, according to Reuters. The outlet said 6,546 Palestinians had been killed, citing the Gaza Health Ministry.

Hamas said the attack was retribution for worsening conditions for Palestinians under Israeli occupation. Hamas is estimated to have taken more than 200 hostages from 25 countries and has threatened to kill some of them.

Amid the subsequent military strikes over the past several days, there has been anticipation that Israel will enter Gaza after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday it had conducted a "targeted raid" in the north of the strip.

Israel has not yet launched its expected ground invasion of Gaza but said the raid was in "preparation for the next stages of combat" after the bombing of the strip.

With propaganda and claims and counterclaims from both sides playing a role in the conflict, the situation has taken on a personal edge for some of the principal figures involved.

U.K. newspaper The Times this week published a report detailing how some of the hundreds of Israelis living abroad who have flown home as reservists have accused Netanyahu's eldest son, Yair Netanyahu, of "abandoning" his country.

At 32, Yair Netanyahu, who moved to Florida earlier this year, is eligible for reserve duty, as the cut-off age is 40. One reservist quoted in The Times article said Yair Netanyahu was "enjoying his life at Miami Beach while I'm on the front lines."

Benjamin Netanyahu served in the Israeli special forces unit Sayeret Matkal and his brother, Yonatan, was killed in the 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue—a fact that may add a particular edge to the criticism.

In addition to being drafted in as reservists, some of the Israelis traveling home are volunteering in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as the IDF.

Since the conflict broke out, Yair Netanyahu, who has more than 109,000 Instagram followers, has dedicated his feed to highlighting the work of NGOs in Israel and remembering Israelis who have been killed in the conflict.

Given his family ties and the high number of his Instagram posts having a political slant, it is perhaps unsurprising that the comments are on the younger Netanyahu's feed are either limited or switched off, as has been the case during the current conflict.

Newsweek has contacted Yair Netanyahu via Instagram for comment.

Meanwhile, his younger brother, Avner Netanyahu, has a markedly lower profile. While he doesn't appear to be on social media, an Instagram account presented as his has also received a barrage of criticism.

The account, which is followed by none of Avener Netanyahu's immediate family members, currently contains two photos of him posing with loved ones.

However, that hasn't stopped detractors from criticizing the 29-year-old in the comments section—with many taking aim because of who his father is.

The account's recent Instagram post—which is dated March 1 and shows Avner Netanyahu posing with his mother, Sara Netanyahu—has been flooded with "Free Palestine" comments and Palestinian flags.

"Tell your father to stop the war," said one Instagram user, while another wrote: "Your dad has blood on his hands, Avner."

As with his brother, there is no indication that Avner Netanyahu is participating in any capacity on the ground in Israel.

When contacted via email, a representative of the IDF told Newsweek that the military force "is a non-political body and we cannot comment on such matters."

Benjamin Netanyahu also has a daughter, Noa Roth, from his previous marriage to Miriam Haran.

In March, Yair Netanyahu shared an article from the right-wing website Breitbart claiming that the U.S. was funding anti-government protests in Israel at the time in order to overthrow his father and force his government to come to an agreement with Iran.

"These accusations are completely false," a U.S. State Department spokesperson told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The spokesperson said that the Movement for Quality Government—an independent, non-partisan, non-profit, pro-democracy organization that has been part of the demonstrations in Israel—"received a modest grant from the State Department that was initiated during the previous administration," adding that "the last disbursal of funds came in September of 2022, well before the last Israeli election."

The grant, according to the spokesperson, "supported an educational program for Jerusalem schools that supplemented their civic studies curriculum."

In recent days, Israel has been attacking the sealed-off and densely populated Gaza Strip with airstrikes. Israel was also stopped entry of food, fuel and medicine into Gaza, worsening the humanitarian conditions in the territory of 2.3 million people.

However, on October 16, Israel and the U.S. agreed to create a plan to allow Palestinian citizens to receive humanitarian aid, with President Joe Biden visiting the country on October 18.

However, Israel has indicated it was preparing a much larger offensive in Gaza. On October 14, the IDF said it was "currently preparing to implement a wide range of operational offensive plans," including coordinated strikes by air, sea and land. On Thursday morning, Israeli tanks and ground troops briefly entered northern Gaza in what military officials described as a "targeted raid" to "prepare the battlefield.

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