Benjamin Netanyahu, 9th Prime Minister of Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu, 9th Prime Minister of Israel

• First premiership, 1996–99
• Second premiership, 2009–13
• Third premiership, 2013–15
• Fourth premiership, 2015–2020
• Fifth premiership, 2020–2021
• Sixth premiership, 2022–

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Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (בִּנְיָמִין "בִּיבִּי" נְתַנְיָהוּ (help·info), also Binyamin Netanyahu, born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician serving as the Prime Minister of Israel 2009-2021, having previously served in that role from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement. He is the longest-serving Israeli prime minister in history and the first to be born in Israel after its Declaration of Independence.

Born in Tel Aviv to secular Jewish parents, Netanyahu was raised both in Jerusalem, and for a time in Philadelphia in the United States. He returned to Israel in 1967 to join the Israel Defense Forces. He became a team leader in the Sayeret Matkal special forces and took part in several missions, achieving the rank of captain before being honorably discharged. After graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Netanyahu became an economic consultant for the Boston Consulting Group. He moved back to Israel in 1978 to found the Yonatan Netanyahu Anti-Terror Institute.

From 1984–1988, Netanyahu was Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations. In 1993 was elected as the Chairman of Likud, becoming Leader of the Opposition. He went on to lead the party to victory at the 1996 election, and was appointed as Israel's youngest-ever Prime Minister. After serving a single term, Netanyahu and Likud were heavily defeated in the 1999 election by Ehud Barak's One Israel party; Netanyahu chose to retire from politics entirely, and entered the private sector. However several years later, after his successor as Likud Chairman, Ariel Sharon, became Prime Minister, Netanyahu was convinced to return to politics, and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance. As Finance Minister, Netanyahu initiated major reforms of the Israeli economy that were credited by commentators as having significantly improved Israel's subsequent economic performance. Netanyahu later clashed with Sharon, eventually resigning over disagreements regarding the Gaza disengagement plan.

Netanyahu returned to the leadership of Likud in December 2005 after Sharon stepped down to form a new party, Kadima. He was the Leader of the Opposition from 2006 to 2009. Although Likud finished second in the 2009 election to Kadima, Netanyahu was able to form a coalition government with other right-wing parties and was sworn in as Prime Minister for a second time. He went on to lead Likud to victory in the 2013 and 2015 elections. After the April 2019 election resulted in no party being able to form a government, a second election in 2019 took place. In the September 2019 election, the centrist Blue and White alliance, led by Benny Gantz, emerged slightly ahead of Netanyahu's Likud; however, neither Netanyahu nor Gantz was able to form a government. After continued political deadlock, this was resolved when Likud and Blue and White reached a coalition agreement following the 2020 election. Under the terms of the agreement, the premiership would rotate between Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, in which Gantz was scheduled to succeed Netanyahu in November 2021. In December 2020, this coalition collapsed and a new election was held in March 2021. A new coalition was formed in June 2021 leading to the end of the "Netanyahu's era".

Netanyahu led Israel’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.

Netanyahu made his closeness to Donald Trump central to his political appeal in Israel from 2016. Since December 2016, Netanyahu has been under investigation for corruption by Israeli police and prosecutors. On 21 November 2019, he was indicted on charges of breach of trust, bribery and fraud. Due to the indictment, Netanyahu is legally required to relinquish all of his ministry posts other than the prime minister position.

In 2010, The British Magazine New Statesman Listed Benjamin Netanyahu at 11th in the list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010".

בנימין (ביבי) נתניהו (נולד ב-21 באוקטובר 1949, כ"ח בתשרי ה'תש"י) הוא ראש ממשלת ישראל, וכיהן בתפקידו (במצטבר) כראש ממשלת ישראל למשך הזמן הארוך ביותר מבין כל ראשי הממשלה לפניו.

בין 1984–1988 היה נתניהו שגריר ישראל באו"ם. לאחר מכן הצטרף למפלגת הליכוד והיה חבר הכנסת השתים עשרה וסגן שר החוץ. ב-1993 נבחר ליושב ראש הליכוד, לאחר מכן כיהן כראש ממשלה במשך חמש כהונות, בשתי תקופות לא רצופות: הראשונה, בראשות ממשלת ישראל העשרים ושבע, בין 1996–1999; והשנייה, מ-2009-2021 בראשות ממשלת ישראל השלושים ושתיים, ובהמשך בראשות ממשלת ישראל השלושים וחמש, ולאחר מכן בכהונה שישית החל מ-2022 עד היום.
הוא ראש הממשלה הישראלי שכיהן במשך התקופה הארוכה ביותר בתפקיד זה. נתניהו כיהן גם כשר החוץ, שר הביטחון, שר האוצר, שר המשפטים, שר התקשורת, וכן בתפקידי שר נוספים.

במהלך התקופה הראשונה שבה כיהן כראש ממשלה חתמה ישראל על הסכמי חברון ווואי עם הפלסטינים. בתקופה השנייה בתפקיד יצאה ישראל למבצעי עמוד ענן וצוק איתן ברצועת עזה, וגם התמודדה עם גל הטרור הפלסטיני בשנים 2015–2016. ישראל בהנהגת נתניהו המשיכה בפעילות המערכה בין המלחמות, בעיקר באמצעות תקיפות של חיל האוויר, וכן הקדישה מאמצים לסיכול תוכנית הגרעין האיראנית. בתקופת כהונתו הוא קידם את הכרת ארצות הברית בירושלים כבירת ישראל ואת הכרת ארצות הברית בריבונות ישראל על רמת הגולן, וכן את העברת שגרירות ארצות הברית בישראל לירושלים. נתניהו אף חתם על הסכמי אברהם עם איחוד האמירויות,