Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu, born on October 21, 1949, is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel multiple times, with his current term starting in 2022. He holds the record for the longest tenure as prime minister in Israeli history, having served for over 17 years in total. Netanyahu was raised
Benjamin Netanyahu | |
| 9th Prime Minister of Israel | |
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 29 December 2022 | |
| In office 31 March 2009 – 13 June 2021 | |
| In office 18 June 1996 – 6 July 1999 | |
| President | Isaac Herzog |
| Deputy | Yariv Levin |
| Preceded by | Yair Lapid |
| President |
|
| Alternate | Benny Gantz (2020–2021) |
| Preceded by | Ehud Olmert |
| Succeeded by | Naftali Bennett |
| President | Ezer Weizman |
| Preceded by | Shimon Peres |
| Succeeded by | Ehud Barak |
in West Jerusalem and the United States. After returning to Israel in 1967, he joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), where he served as a captain in the Sayeret Matkal special forces. He participated in several key military operations, including the rescue of Sabena Flight 571 in 1972. After his discharge from the army, he studied in the United States and earned degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He also worked for the Boston Consulting Group before returning to Israel.
He entered politics in the late 1980s and became leader of the Likud party in 1993. In 1996, Netanyahu became Israel's youngest prime minister and the first to be elected by direct popular vote. Though he lost the 1999 election, Netanyahu returned to politics and served in various governmental roles, including as foreign minister and finance minister. After becoming prime minister again in 2009, Netanyahu's tenure saw a close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, leading to significant policy changes, such as the U.S. recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Netanyahu's government faced criticism over expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. In 2019, he was indicted on corruption charges but continued serving as prime minister. In 2021, following a political crisis, Netanyahu lost his position but returned to power after the 2022 election. His government focused on judicial reform, sparking large protests in 2023. Netanyahu also faced major challenges, including the outbreak of the Gaza war and military actions against Hezbollah and Syria. Additionally, his administration has been accused of war crimes, with international legal actions being taken against him.
Personal life
Benjamin Netanyahu was born in Tel Aviv to Benzion Netanyahu (originally named Mileikowsky) and Tzila Segal. His mother was born in 1912 in Petah Tikva, then part of Ottoman Palestine, now Israel. His paternal family has roots in the Russian Empire (modern Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland), while his maternal grandparents emigrated to Minneapolis, USA. Netanyahu is also related to Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna, known as the Vilna Gaon, on his father's side. Benzion Netanyahu, his father, was a professor of Jewish history at Cornell University and an editor of the Encyclopaedia Hebraica. He was also a senior aide to Ze'ev Jabotinsky, a prominent Zionist leader. Netanyahu's paternal grandfather, Nathan Mileikowsky, was a Zionist rabbi and a major fundraiser for the Jewish National Fund. Netanyahu has two brothers: Yonatan, who was killed during Operation Entebbe in 1976, and Iddo, a radiologist and writer. All three brothers served in the IDF’s elite Sayeret Matkal reconnaissance unit.
Netanyahu has been married three times. His first marriage was to Miriam Weizmann, whom he met during his military service in Israel. They married in 1972 after both moving to the United States for their studies. Miriam pursued a degree in chemistry at Hebrew University while Netanyahu studied at MIT. They had a daughter, Noa, born in 1978. However, their marriage ended in divorce following an affair Netanyahu had with a British student, Fleur Cates, in 1978 while Miriam was pregnant. Netanyahu married Cates in 1981, and she converted to Judaism. However, they divorced in 1988. Netanyahu's third wife, Sara Ben-Artzi, was a flight attendant when they met on a flight from New York to Israel in 1990. She was pursuing a master's degree in psychology at the time. They married in 1991 and have two sons: Yair, born in 1991, a former IDF spokesperson, and Avner, born in 1994, a national Bible champion and former soldier in the IDF Combat Intelligence Collection Corps.
In 1993, Netanyahu publicly admitted to an affair with his public relations adviser, Ruth Bar. He claimed a political rival had secretly filmed the affair and threatened to release the video unless he dropped out of the Likud leadership race. Netanyahu and Sara reconciled, and he later became the leader of the Likud party. In 1996, media reports revealed his long-standing friendship with Katherine Price-Mondadori, an Italian-American woman. Netanyahu has been dealing with right bundle branch block (RBBB) since 2003. In July 2023, he had a pacemaker implanted. In March 2024, a hernia was detected, and in December 2024, he underwent prostate removal surgery following complications from a urinary tract infection caused by prostate enlargement.
Early Political Career:
| Period | Position/Role | Key Events & Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | Deputy to the Israeli Ambassador in Washington | Netanyahu began his political journey, gaining important international exposure. |
| 1984–1988 | Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations | Represented Israel on the global stage, advocating for the nation’s interests during the Gulf War. |
| 1993 | Leader of Likud | Became the leader of the Likud Party, strongly opposing the Oslo Accords and adopting a tough stance on security and Palestinian relations. |
| 1996 | Prime Minister | Elected as the first Israeli prime minister through direct elections, emphasizing security and skepticism regarding the Oslo process. |
| 1996–1999 | Prime Minister | Worked on peace negotiations with the Palestinians, but continued to push for settlement expansion, which led to controversies. |
| 1999 | Defeated in Elections | Defeated by Ehud Barak in the elections, which led to his brief political withdrawal. |
| 2003–2005 | Finance Minister | Led significant economic reforms, focusing on privatization and tax reductions. |
| 2005 | Opposition to the Gaza Disengagement Plan | Resigned as finance minister due to disagreement with the Gaza withdrawal plan. |
| 2005–2009 | Leader of Likud & Opposition Leader | Headed the opposition following Ariel Sharon's stroke, opposing the Gaza pullout and uniting right-wing factions. |
| 2009 | Prime Minister | Returned to power as prime minister, forming a coalition with right-wing and religious parties. |
| 2009–2021 | Prime Minister | Focused on advancing Israel’s economic development, security, and strengthened relations with the U.S., particularly during the Trump administration. Faced backlash over continued settlement expansion. |
| 2019 | Indicted on Corruption Charges | Faced corruption charges including bribery, fraud, and breach of trust but remained in office amid legal proceedings. |
| 2021 | Failed Coalition Formation | Unable to form a stable coalition government after several election cycles, eventually losing leadership to Naftali Bennett. |
| 2022 | Returned as Prime Minister | Led the Likud Party to electoral success and formed a government with right-wing and religious parties. |
| 2023 | Judicial Reforms and Protests | Proposed contentious judicial reforms, sparking large-scale protests throughout Israel. |
| 2023–Present | Prime Minister | Guided Israel through the Gaza conflict, faced criticism for his handling of security matters, and continues to deal with legal issues. |
Political positions
Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently opposed the Oslo Accords since their introduction. In 1993, he dedicated a chapter titled "Trojan Horse" in his book A Place Among the Nations, where he criticized the Oslo peace process. He argued that figures like Amin al-Husseini, associated with the Holocaust, and Yasser Arafat, whom he linked to Nazi-like ideologies, were key figures in shaping the peace efforts. During his first term as Prime Minister in the late 1990s, Netanyahu frequently reneged on the commitments made by previous Israeli governments as part of the Oslo peace process. American peace envoy Dennis Ross noted that both U.S. President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright doubted Netanyahu’s sincerity in pursuing peace. In a 2001 video, Netanyahu was recorded, seemingly unaware, admitting that he had only agreed to the Oslo Accords in a manner that allowed him to interpret them in a way that would prevent Israel from withdrawing to the 1967 borders, particularly through actions like defining the Jordan Valley as a "military zone."
In 2009, Netanyahu promised not to repeat the "mistake" of Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, saying that it had failed to provide peace or security. He insisted on two conditions for peace: recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and a security settlement, with the latter focused on demilitarization. Netanyahu expressed similar sentiments in 2014, saying that Israel would not repeat the mistakes of past withdrawals, referring to the rockets fired from Lebanon and Gaza as consequences of those policies. Although Netanyahu initially dismissed the idea of peace talks being productive, he later called for an "economic peace" approach, one based on cooperation and economic incentives rather than political negotiations. This approach reflected Netanyahu’s view that economic growth would offer Palestinians a stake in peace. By 2014, Netanyahu had shifted somewhat, agreeing to U.S.-backed frameworks that used the 1967 borders as a starting point for peace negotiations, though he insisted Jewish settlers be allowed to stay in their homes even under Palestinian rule. He also encouraged the funding of Hamas as a means of dividing the Palestinian territories, preventing a unified Palestinian state.
In 2019, Netanyahu publicly stated that anyone opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state should support strengthening Hamas, signaling his commitment to isolating the Gaza Strip from the West Bank. Despite his opposition to Palestinian statehood, Netanyahu supported Donald Trump's peace plan for the creation of a Palestinian state in 2020, although the plan ultimately failed. Trump later criticized Netanyahu, claiming he "never wanted peace" with the Palestinians. The Abraham Accords, brokered by the Trump administration, marked a significant shift in Israel’s relations with Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan, leading to the normalization of ties between them and Israel. Netanyahu celebrated these deals as transformative, changing Israel's political standing in the region.
In 2009, Netanyahu delivered the famous Bar-Ilan speech, where he acknowledged the possibility of a Palestinian state, a departure from his previous positions. However, his speech emphasized the need for full demilitarization of any Palestinian state, no recognition of the right of return for Palestinian refugees, and the continuation of settlement expansion under the guise of "natural growth." His remarks drew mixed reactions internationally, with strong support from the United States but strong opposition from Palestinian authorities and other Arab leaders. Netanyahu's stance on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, as seen in his speeches and policies, reflects a complex and often controversial approach, balancing his security concerns with efforts to maintain regional peace, while simultaneously limiting Palestinian statehood aspirations.
References
- Dpr. (2025, January 23). History of the Question of Palestine - Question of Palestine. Question of Palestine. https://www.un.org/unispal/history/
- Katherine Mondadori. (2017, January 29). Issuu. https://issuu.com/katherinemondadori/docs/ppt._of_katherine_mondadori.pptx
- Ravi, V. &. (2025, February 4). UPSC Foundation Course, Best GS Foundation Course for UPSC 2025. Vajiram & Ravi. https://vajiramandravi.com/all-courses/upsc-general-studies/
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2025, January 6). Oslo Accords | Significance, Palestine, Israel, Two-State Solution, Breakdown, & Map. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oslo-Accords
- The Jewish State | History of Western Civilization II. (n.d.). https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldhistory2/chapter/the-jewish-state/
- Top 10 Backend Frameworks in 2025: A Comprehensive guide. (n.d.). https://www.turing.com/resources/backend-frameworks
