Benjamin Netanyahu

Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; 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:
 International Terrorism: Challenge and Response (The Jonathon Institute, 1980) ()
 Terrorism: How the West Can Win (Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1986) ()
 A Place Among the Nations (Bantam, 1993) ()
 Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism (Diane Pub Co, 1995) ()
 A Durable Peace: Israel and Its Place Among the Nations (Warner Books, 2000) ()
 Bibi: My Story (Threshold Editions [Simon&Schuster], November, 2022)

 Related pages 
 Fourth Netanyahu Government
 Netanyahu-Gantz Government (Fifth Netanyahu Government)
 Yonatan Netanyahu

Notes

References

 Other websites 

 Official website 
 Biography of Benjamin Netanyahu at Zionism and Israel Information Center Biography Section
 Website of supporters of Benjamin Netanyahu 
 Benjamin Netanyahu on the definition of terror (BBC, 5 min.)
 Benjamin Netanyahu Profile on Israeli Lexicon (Ynetnews)
 Netanyahu: Pullout will worsen Israel's security . The Jerusalem Post, 5 August 2005
Cheltenham High School Hall of Fame Biography  
Netanyahu’s Fortification Plan 
The 32nd Government, official Knesset website
Sara Netanyahu , Sara Netanyahu biography and photos


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