Benjamin Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu
בנימין נתניהו
Official portrait, 2023
Prime Minister of Israel
Assumed office
29 December 2022 (2022-12-29)
PresidentIsaac Herzog
Preceded byYair Lapid
In office
31 March 2009 (2009-03-31) – 13 June 2021 (2021-06-13)
PresidentShimon Peres
Reuven Rivlin
AlternateBenny Gantz (2020–21)
Preceded byEhud Olmert
Succeeded byNaftali Bennett
In office
18 June 1996 (1996-06-18) – 6 July 1999 (1999-07-06)
PresidentEzer Weizman
Preceded byShimon Peres
Succeeded byEhud Barak
Leader of the Opposition
In office
28 June 2021 – 29 December 2022
Prime MinisterNaftali Bennett
Yair Lapid
Preceded byYair Lapid
Succeeded byYair Lapid
In office
16 January 2006 – 31 March 2009
Prime MinisterEhud Olmert
Preceded byAmir Peretz
Succeeded byTzipi Livni
In office
3 February 1993 – 18 June 1996
Prime MinisterYitzhak Rabin
Shimon Peres
Preceded byYitzhak Shamir
Succeeded byShimon Peres
Chairman of Likud
Assumed office
20 December 2005 (2005-12-20)
Preceded byAriel Sharon
In office
3 February 1993 (1993-02-03) – 6 July 1999 (1999-07-06)
Preceded byYitzhak Shamir
Succeeded byAriel Sharon
Ministerial roles
1996–1997Science and Technology
1996–1999Housing and Construction
2002–2003Foreign Affairs
2003–2005Finance
2009–2013
2012–2013Foreign Affairs
2013
Personal details
Born (1949-10-21) 21 October 1949 (age 77)
Tel Aviv, Israel
Political partyLikud
Spouse(s)
Miriam Weizmann
​
​
(m. 1972; div. 1978)​
Fleur Cates
​
​
(m. 1981; div. 1984)​
​
(m. 1991)​
Children3
Parents
Relatives
Alma mater
Occupation
  • Politician
  • diplomat
  • writer
  • economic consultant
  • marketing executive
Cabinet
Signature
Websitewww.netanyahu.org.il Edit this at Wikidata
Military service
Nickname(s)Bibi
Branch/serviceIsrael Defense Forces
Years of service1967–1973
RankSeren (Captain)
UnitSayeret Matkal
Battles/wars

Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (Hebrew: בנימין נתניהו; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician. He is the prime minister of Israel since 2022. He was prime minister before from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. He is chair of the Likud party. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history, having served a total of over 17 years.

In October 2023, Israel was attacked by Hamas-led Palestinian groups, triggering the Israel–Hamas war. Netanyahu has been criticized for his role in not preventing the attack and then for his response to the attack. His government faced protests calling for his removal. Netanyahu's government has been accused of genocide and war crimes. In May 2024, the International Criminal Court announced their plans to apply for an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, and other members of his cabinet, for war crimes and crimes against humanity, as part of the ICC investigation in Palestine. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu along with Yoav Gallant and Mohammed Deif.

Corruption charge

On February 28, 2019, Netanyahu was indicted on bribe and fraud charges in three different cases. If Netanyahu is convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison for bribery and a maximum of three years for fraud and breach of trust. He is the first sitting prime minister in Israel's history to be charged with a crime.

2020 election

On April 20 April 2020, Opposition Leader Benny Gantz and Netanyahu announced an agreement on a unity government had been reached following the 2020 legislative election. The deal would involve both parties splitting power and Gantz and Netanyahu taking turns being prime minister. The deal said that Gantz would be Vice Prime Minister until October 2021, by then he would replace Netanyahu to become Prime Minister.

Fifth term

In May 2021, Hamas fired rockets on Israel from Gaza, which caused Netanyahu to act Operation Guardian of the Walls, lasting eleven days.

After the 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis, Israeli politician and leader of the Yamina alliance Naftali Bennett announced that he has agreed to a deal with Yair Lapid to forge a coalition government that would remove Netanyahu from his Prime Minister position. This is after the 2021 March election.

Sixth term

Following the 2022 election, Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in again as Prime Minister, officially beginning his sixth term on 29 December 2022.

In early 2023, Netanyahu’s government introduced a series of proposed judicial reforms aimed at limiting the powers of the Supreme Court and increasing governmental influence over judicial appointments. The proposals prompted months of mass nationwide protests, with critics arguing that the changes would undermine the separation of powers and weaken Israeli democracy.

On 25 March 2023, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant publicly called for the suspension of the reforms, warning that they threatened national security amid growing social divisions. Netanyahu dismissed Gallant the following day, triggering further protests and a political crisis. Shortly afterward, Netanyahu announced a delay in the legislative process to allow for dialogue with opposition parties.

In May 2024, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Ahmad Khan, announced that he had applied for arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif in connection with alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Israel–Hamas war. On 21 November 2024, the ICC issued formal arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. Israel rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction and condemned the move as politically motivated.

Netanyahu has continued to face ongoing domestic corruption trials for alleged bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, which he denies.

Army career

Netanyahu was a captain in the Israel Defense Forces. He fought in the raid on Lebanon in 1968. He also fought in the raid on Jordan in 1968. His brother Yonatan (1946, New York City – 1976, Entebbe) commanded the special reconnaissance unit Sayeret Matkal.

Books and articles

Books:
Through the years Netanyahu authored six books, three of which focus on counter-terrorism. The books he wrote himself include:

Notes

  1. ↑ Pronounced /ˌnɛtənˈjɑːhuː/ NET-ən-YAH-hoo; Hebrew: בִּנְיָמִין נְתַנְיָהוּ, romanized: Binyamin Netanyahu, he

References

  1. ↑ Leader of the Opposition Knesset
  2. ↑ "Benjamin Netanyahu". Biography. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  3. ↑ "Netanyahu". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Picheta, Rob; Gold, Hadas; Tal, Amir (29 December 2022). "Benjamin Netanyahu sworn in as leader of Israel's likely most right-wing government ever". CNN. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  5. ↑ Heller, Aron (17 July 2019). "Netanyahu makes history as Israel's longest-serving leader". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  6. ↑ Williams, Dan (18 July 2019). "Bruised but driven, Netanyahu becomes Israel's longest-serving PM". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  7. ↑ "Israel-Gaza conflict: Unthinkable security lapse on Netanyahu's watch". The Times. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "Israelis question Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 'colossal failure' on security establishment". The Telegraph Online. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  9. ↑ "Netanyahu may end up the highest-ranking casualty of this attack". The Australian. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "Thousands Protest Across Israel Against Netanyahu's Government". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  11. ↑ "Protesters call for change to Netanyahu government". Reuters. 20 January 2024.
  12. ↑ Eghbariah, Rabea (21 November 2023). "The Harvard Law Review Refused to Run This Piece About genocide in Gaza". The Nation. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. ↑ "Gaza: UN experts call on international community to prevent genocide against the Palestinian people". UN. 16 November 2023. Archived from the original on 24 December 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. ↑ Burga, Solcyre (14 November 2023). "Is What's Happening in Gaza a Genocide? Experts Weigh In". Time. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2024.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  15. ↑ Ray, Siladitya (2024-05-20). "ICC Seeks Arrest Warrants For Benjamin Netanyahu And Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-05-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  16. ↑
  17. ↑ Felicia Schwartz; Dov Lieber (22 November 2019). "Israel's Netanyahu Is Indicted on Bribery and Fraud Charges". The Wall Street Journal. Vol. CCLXXIV, no. 123. p. A1.
  18. ↑ Halbfinger, David M. (21 November 2019). "Israel's Netanyahu Indicted on Charges of Fraud, Bribery and Breach of Trust". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 November 2019.
  19. ↑ Heller, Jeffrey; Williams, Dan (21 November 2019). "Israel's attorney general indicts PM Netanyahu on corruption charges". Reuters. Retrieved 21 November 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  20. ↑ "Netanyahu said set to give up 4 ministry portfolios after charges announced". The Times of Israel. 23 November 2019. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  21. ↑ Gil Hoffman (20 April 2020). "After 17-month stalemate, Netanyahu and Gantz strike unity deal". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  22. ↑ Harkov, Lahav (21 May 2021). "Netanyahu, defense chiefs call operation 'game-changing' defeat of Hamas". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  23. ↑ "Israeli opposition figures reach deal aimed at ousting Netanyahu". the Guardian. 2021-05-30. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  24. ↑ "Bennett announces plan to form gov't with Lapid that will oust Netanyahu". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 30 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  25. ↑ "Netanyahu returns as PM, wins Knesset support for Israel's most hardline government". The Times of Israel. 29 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  26. ↑ "Benjamin Netanyahu sworn in as leader of Israel's likely most right-wing government ever". CNN. 29 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  27. ↑ "Israel's Netanyahu unveils plans to overhaul the Supreme Court". Al Jazeera. 4 January 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.[permanent dead link]
  28. ↑ "Israel's Netanyahu pauses judicial overhaul after mass protests". BBC News. 27 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.[permanent dead link]
  29. ↑ "Israeli defense minister calls on Netanyahu to halt overhaul of courts". The Washington Post. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  30. ↑ "Netanyahu fires defense minister who called for halt to judicial overhaul". The Washington Post. 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  31. ↑ "Israel: Netanyahu announces delay to judicial overhaul plan". The Guardian. 27 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  32. ↑ "Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC: Applications for arrest warrants in the situation in the State of Palestine". International Criminal Court. 20 May 2024. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  33. ↑ "ICC issues arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged Gaza war crimes". The Guardian. 21 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  34. ↑ "Israel rejects ICC arrest warrants, calls move 'outrageous'". Reuters. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  35. ↑ "Netanyahu appears in court for ongoing corruption trial". Al Jazeera. 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.

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