Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair has joined the fight against terrorism — on social media. The 26-year-old started a new job in April as the social media coordinator for Shurat Hadin, a Tel Aviv-based civil rights non-governmental organization focused on representing terror victims, Jewish issues and Israeli causes.
Shurat Hadin is currently suing Facebook for a billion dollars, as well as Google and Twitter, for providing a platform and services for terrorist organizations like Hamas and Islamic State. The NGO announced last week that it is building a war-crimes case against Hamas to be submitted to the International Criminal Court over the terrorist group’s use of flaming kites that targeted Israeli border farms over the past month.
“Yair is very intelligent, and he has terrific skills in expressing himself,” said Shurat Hadin president Nitsana Darshan-Leitner. “He connects what is happening in Israel and around the world with the organization’s activities on social media. He is doing good work so far.”
Shurat Hadin is currently hosting supporters from around the world to learn about security and the fight against terrorism. Netanyahu and the security guard who travels with him are accompanying the group.
“We realized every legal campaign must be accompanied by a public campaign, including on social media,” Darshan-Leitner said.
“The world is at a turning point, and if we want to be effective in the courts, it must be accompanied by a public campaign, including on social media. Social media is a good way of passing our message to policy makers, legislators and people on the street.”
The prime minister’s elder son is no stranger to controversy. Last year he was sharply criticized for posting a cartoon on Facebook featuring many of his father’s critics, including US billionaire George Soros and former prime minister Ehud Barak. In January, recordings were released of Yair Netanyahu speaking in a vulgar manner about women and attending strip clubs.