It’s Time Yair Netanyahu Paid for His Own Protection—and Maybe a Gym Membership

The Shin Bet must stop providing security for Yair Netanyahu, as he is not a security target. He is not a particularly important individual. If Prime Minister Netanyahu is not a criminal, then he has not shared state secrets with his son - so even in the unlikely case of his abduction, no sensitive information would be compromised.

True, if - God forbid - he were to be kidnapped, there might be attempts to blackmail the State of Israel through his father. But that risk exists with other family members of Mr. Netanyahu as well, and they are not provided state security. Will we also assign bodyguards to Mr. Netanyahu’s sibling and grandchildren? Probably not.

At the same time, should anything unfortunate happen to him - again, heaven forbid - it is worth noting that he is effectively no longer residing in Israel. Therefore, the Israeli taxpayer should not be spending between 4 to 6 million shekels a year on his protection.

This has nothing to do with his political views, the conspiracies he spreads, or the veil of mystery surrounding certain aspects of his private life - matters best left discreet.

In a country striving to reclaim its ethos of sacrifice, Yair Netanyahu does not merit, nor is he suited for, state-funded protection. He should be a self-reliant Israeli man and take care of his own security - with the help of friends or allies if needed. At the very least, if deemed necessary, he should have no more than one bodyguard. Not two, not three, no vehicles—just one guard.

And if he truly feels at risk, why not simply return to Israel? There, as the son of a sitting prime minister who is in the country, he may, under the law, be eligible for official protection. Problem solved.

Yair Netanyahu portrays himself as someone who trains at the gym, based on photos he’s uploaded to social media. Yet his physique appears rather slight - he does not look more muscular or physically developed than a yeshiva student from one of Yosef Haim Brenner’s stories.

Perhaps, with the end of state-funded security, Mr. Netanyahu Jr. might finally be inspired to push beyond his natural genetic limitations and invest in developing his body and physical presence.

Lastly, another way Yair Netanyahu could take responsibility for himself and contribute to the country would be to enlist in combat service - but, again, that too would probably have to begin at the gym.