Netanyahu's son makes waves dabbling in foreign policy
The prime minister's 27-year-old offspring, Yair, uses Twitter to lambaste other countries and their leaders, express support for far-right European politician and scold those he deems insufficiently supportive of Israel
Four thousand invited guests at an Independence Day celebration last month in Miami, co-hosted by the Israeli consulate there, were surprised to see that alongside video greetings from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and two of his cabinet ministers, was a message on behalf of the State of Israel from Netanyahu's eldest son, Yair
The 27-year-old is not an elected official, nor does he hold any position in the government, but this is not the first time he has weighed in on questions of foreign policy. So often has it happened, in fact, that some in the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem wonder if he is eyeing a job in the diplomatic corps.
On Monday, the young Netanyahu managed to upset Spain's leadership when he tweeted that Muslims should expel Spain from its North African outposts of Melilla and Ceuta.
Earlier this month, he directed a tweet at German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who released a statement congratulating Israel on the 70th anniversary of its induction into the United Nations. Yair tweeted in response: "It will be nice if you stop interfering in our internal business and stop funding hundreds of radical left-wing NGOs in Israel that seek its destruction."
The Netanyahu scion also dabbled in the recent European parliamentary elections, sending messages of support to almost every far-right European leader, including Hungary's Victor Orban, Nigel Farage in the UK, Matteo Salvini in Italy and Geert Wilders in the Netherlands.
He also engaged in a Twitter spat with Tommy Corbyn, the son of British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, an outspoken critic of Israel.
Finally, Yair enraged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan when he referred to Istanbul by its former name of Constantinople, prompting the Turkish leader to suggest the prime minister discipline his unruly son.
