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.
Israel to send senior interagency team of military intelligence and humanitarian officials to Washington in coming days to hear US concerns about its current Rafah military plans.
“The picture that has been presented in the last few days and weeks in the United States is completely different from what has been described,” Netanyahu said.
The evolving partnership between India and Israel has intensified in recent years.
“I am founding a democratic, free, broad-based party, to present a strong, straightforward, Zionist alternative to this corrupt and messianist government," he said in a video posted to X.
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Ben-Gvir was reportedly furious with Benjamin Netanyahu at the cabinet meeting over Gallant’s independence.
The contrast between what Biden said then and his reaction to Schumer’s speech is glaring.
American Jewish groups respond differently to Schumer's call for Israeli elections, reflecting diverse views on US-Israel relations and the Middle East.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urges Israel to refrain from military operation in Rafah amid increasing aid shipments and what he called Palestinian "suffering."