Netanyahu’s son buys UK apartment under different name

Avner Netanyahu, son of 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, purchased a 502,500 pound (approximately USD 680,000) apartment in Oxford, UK, in October 2022 using a different legal name, according to a report by the 'Israeli' business newspaper Calcalist published Wednesday.

The purchase came during a period of economic instability in the UK, shortly after then-Prime Minister Liz Truss unveiled a controversial mini-budget that caused the British pound to plummet. Avner Netanyahu reportedly paid just under 2 million shekels (USD 593,170), narrowly avoiding the 'Israeli' tax authority’s threshold for reporting foreign assets, which is set at 2 million shekels.

Calcalist revealed that had the purchase been made just 10 days earlier or later, the value of the apartment would have surpassed the reporting threshold, requiring disclosure to 'Israeli' tax officials.

The property was bought under the name Avi Avner Segal, a legal alias Avner adopted using his paternal grandmother’s maiden name, the report said. The acquisition was reportedly made in cash, without the need for a mortgage.

Avner Netanyahu defended both the alias and the purchase, telling Calcalist that the name change was legally registered with 'Israel’s' interior ministry.

"I changed my name on my ID card at the Israeli interior ministry, and then changed my passport and driver’s licence. It’s a package deal," he said. "We reported everything that was necessary to the tax authorities in Israel and Britain. All of my conduct was legal, both here and there."

Currently working at Strategy&, a strategic consulting firm within PwC, Avner explained that the name change was motivated by security concerns. At the time of the purchase, his father was the opposition leader, and his request for Shin Bet protection while studying abroad had been denied.

"I didn't have security at the time," he said. "I knew that if I walked around with that name, in another country with Muslims, I would get stabbed by the first person who heard it at a train station."

As of 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s annual salary is reported to be at least USD 150,000. The purchase and use of an alias have raised questions about legal thresholds and transparency but remain within the bounds of the law according to Avner Netanyahu’s statements.