Is Yair Netanyahu Dating Non-Jewish Norwegian Woman?

Jewish Issue? Some Israeli leaders are pointing to the relationship between Benjamin Netanyahu?s son and a non-Jewish woman as evidence that he is less than committed to Jewish continuity. Image by Facebook

By JTA January 29, 2014

The son of Benjamin Netanyahu is not dating a non-Jewish Norwegian girl, an official in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office reportedly told the head of the haredi Orthodox Shas party.

Israel’s Channel 10 reported Wednesday that the official told Aryeh Deri in a meeting that Yair Netanyahu, 23, and Sandra Leikanger, 25, who both study at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, only study together and are not dating.

Deri publicly criticized the prime minister for his son’s choice of romantic involvement, saying on Monday in an interview with the haredi radio station Kol Barama, “Woe is us if it is true.”

“I try not to raise personal criticism, but if, heaven forbid, this is true it is no longer a personal matter — it is a symbol of the Jewish people,” he said.

Deri also said he was concerned about how the relationship would appear to people “who invest tens of millions, hundreds of millions to fight assimilation throughout the world.”

The prime minister’s official also denied that Netanyahu had spoken of the relationship with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Soldberg last week at the Davos Economic Forum, as has been reported in Israeli media.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO