Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister of Israel since its inception.
Born in Tel Aviv on October 21, 1949, he grew up in Jerusalem before moving with his family to Pennsylvania during his high school years, where his father taught history. In 1967 Netanyahu returned to Israel and joined the IDF's Sayeret Matkal special forces unit, where he served until 1973.
He took part in many military operations, including a 1972 rescue mission of hostages in a hijacked Sabena airplane, during which he was shot in the shoulder. Netanyahu finished his military service in 1972, but returned to serve in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, after which he was promoted to the rank of Captain.
His brother Yonatan "Yoni," an IDF officer, was killed during Operation Entebbe in 1976 at the Entebbe Airport in Uganda where Israelis were being held hostage. His was the only death resulting from the mission.
He has degrees in architecture and business management from MIT. He also studied political science at MIT and Harvard University. He served as Israel's ambassador to the UN from 1984-1988, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs under Ariel Sharon's government.
In 1993 Netanyahu was elected Likud party chairman and served as the leader of the opposition until being elected prime minister in 1996. In 2009, he was elected prime minister for the second time, in January 2013 a third, and in March 2015 a fourth.
He is married to Sara Netanyahu with whom he has two children, Yair and Avner.
In 2018, the Mossad stole Iran's nuclear archive. Netanyahu later presented the information to the international community. Netanyahu strongly opposes a nuclear deal with Iran.
Under the rotation government set by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, Netanyahu serves as the leader of the opposition.
A controversial Knesset bill aims to create a PMO intelligence czar separate from IDF, Mossad, and Shin Bet.
Grossi said that Parchin has had no nuclear activity in a long time while acknowledging that it may have in the distant past.
While this ends one dispute between AG and the government, tensions are still at breaking point.
Israel's deep state poses a serious threat to Israel’s unity, democracy, and ability to confront existential enemies, the author writes.
Israel's deep state poses a serious threat to Israel’s unity, democracy, and ability to confront existential enemies, the author writes.
Israel's deep state poses a serious threat to Israel’s unity, democracy, and ability to confront existential enemies, the author writes.
As hostage talks stall, Netanyahu promises rewards for returns and warns hostage captors that Israel will pursue them.
Following a request made by Ofer Doron, Amir Sadeh, and Itai Yafe's lawyers, Judge Menachem Mizrachi approved the publication of their names as suspects in the incident.
Following military successes against Hamas, Hezbollah, Tehran he may be more ready to roll dice with Trump
Netanyahu claims he was always the aggressive party, but top defense officials say the opposite until mid-2024.
JPOST Digital Library
