The results of the Y-DNA analysis of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's paternal line have been announced. Samples taken from his brother Ido and son Yair Netanyahu showed that they belong to the Y2619 subclade of the R1a haplogroup.
Modern.az reports that Orkhan Khansuvar, administrator of the Azerbaijan DNA project and genetic researcher, provided this information.
According to the researcher, Netanyahu's lineage merges with Polish Jews (Ashkenazim) on his paternal line around 750 AD:
"The R-Y2619 variation emerged approximately 2900 years ago and is found in nearly half of Ashkenazi men of Levi descent. This branch has not been found among non-Jewish populations worldwide. The closest genetic kinship ties date back to the Late Bronze Age and are currently recorded in Iran, in which regard the subclade is considered to be of Iranian origin."
The researcher noted that Netanyahu's grandfather, Natan Mileikowsky, was a famous rabbi and writer born in the Russian Empire (present-day Belarus). Another interesting fact is that former Israeli President Chaim Herzog also carries this subclade. Herzog was an Irish-Israeli politician, military officer, lawyer, and writer who served as President of Israel from 1983 to 1993.
Tohfa Samad
