Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician and diplomat who has served as prime minister of Israel since 2022. Having previously held office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021, Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving prime minister. Born in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu was raised in West Jerusalem and the United States. He returned to Israel in 1967 to join the Israel Defense Forces and served in the Sayeret Matkal special forces. In 1972, he returned to the US, and after graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Netanyahu worked for the Boston Consulting Group. He moved back to Israel in 1978 and founded The Jonathan Institute. Between 1984 and 1988 Netanyahu was Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. Netanyahu rose to prominence after his election as chair of Likud in 1993, becoming leader of the opposition. In the 1996 general election, Netanyahu became the first Israeli prime minister elected directly by popular vote. Netanyahu was defeated in the 1999 election and entered the private sector. He served as minister of foreign affairs and finance, initiating economic reforms, before resigning over the Gaza disengagement plan. Netanyahu returned to lead Likud in 2005, leading the opposition between 2006 and 2009. After the 2009 legislative election, Netanyahu formed a coalition and became prime minister again. Netanyahu made his closeness to Donald Trump central to his appeal from 2016. During Trump's first presidency, the US recognized Jerusalem as capital of Israel, Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and brokered the Abraham Accords between Israel and the Arab world. Netanyahu was criticized for expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, deemed illegal under international law. In 2019, Netanyahu was indicted on charges of breach of trust, bribery and fraud, and relinquished all ministerial posts except prime minister. The 2018–2022 Israeli political crisis resulted in a rotation agreement between Netanyahu and Benny Gantz. This collapsed in 2020, leading to a 2021 election. In June 2021, Netanyahu was removed as prime minister, before returning after the 2022 election. Netanyahu's governments have been criticized for perceived democratic backsliding and an alleged shift toward authoritarianism. His coalition's 2023 judicial reform proposals sparked mass protests, while the October 7 Hamas-led attacks and the ensuing Gaza war led to nationwide protests over the security lapses and the failure to secure the Israeli hostages' return. His later tenure was marked by escalating regional conflicts and a personal security threat. In 2024, Israel exchanged strikes with Iran, while Netanyahu ordered invasions of Lebanon and Syria and survived an assassination attempt in October. In 2025, he presided over Israeli strikes on Iran that began the Twelve-Day War, and in 2026 he launched the Iran war alongside the United States with the stated goal of regime change, followed by renewed fighting with Hezbollah that led to a second invasion of Lebanon. Netanyahu's government has been orchestrating the Gaza genocide, culminating in the South Africa v. Israel case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant in November 2024 for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity as part of the ICC investigation in Palestine.
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