Benjamin Netanyahu

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.

Iran sends missiles, drones to Kuwait, Bessent says IRGC in 'economic death throes'

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US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with travel executives in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, September 2, 2026.

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Amcha Yisrael party chairman Ofer Winter speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv, September 2, 2026.

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Netanyahu warns that an attack from Tehran would be 'one of their last decisions'

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The haredi draft deal was meant to secure Netanyahu’s political future, but it may be what unravels his coalition’s electoral prospects

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Haredi demonstration in front of the military recruitment office in Jerusalem, April 12, with a sign that reads: ‘We will die and not enlist.’

Premium

Israel's election cycle speeds up as October 27 vote approaches - from the editor

Israel heads toward a high-stakes election after three years of war, with Netanyahu’s leadership at the center of the vote

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According to Hamas, the Israeli government’s condemnations of the attacks are "nothing more than a smokescreen” meant to ease international pressure.

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Israeli settler extremists throw stones at a dirt road at the Palestinian village of Kusra, in the West Bank, in an attempt to block the movement of Palestinians and Israeli forces, August 12, 2026

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An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 151, launches from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during the ongoing conflict with Iran July 31, 2026.

Winter privately met with Netanyahu despite pledging independent run, N12 reports

According to the report, Netanyahu offered Winter a reserved slot on the Likud list for the upcoming election, alongside additional reserved positions on the party’s slate, which Winter rejected.

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Ofer Winter speaks during his party announcement event on August 25, 2026.

Winter, Smotrich cross electoral threshold at expense of Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Kan poll shows

The Kan poll shows Likud down one seat to 21 mandates from the previous survey and down three seats since the beginning of the month. Otzma Yehudit also declined, falling to seven seats.

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A plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem on March 19, 2025.

Netanyahu: Extremist WB settlers face 'all kinds of hardships at home,' media exaggerates issue

The prime minister's comments to Channel 14 followed a statement on Saturday in which he condemned the violent extremist settlers after several of them barricaded themselves inside a Kusra home.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a vote at the plenum hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on July 16, 2026.

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Former prime minister Naftali Bennett at the B'Yachad party headquarters, August 30, 2026.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu casts his ballot at his party Likud's main polling station during primary elections ahead of Israel's general election in October in Jerusalem on August 17, 2026; illustrative

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A statement from Ben-Gvir’s office claimed that the prisoners were female Islamic Jihad terrorists.

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