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Benjamin Netanyahu (Hebrew: About this soundבִּנְיָמִין נְתַנְיָהוּ (help·info); born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has been Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, having previously held the position from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement. He is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israeli history,[2][3][4] and the first to be born in Israel after the establishment of the state.
Born in Tel Aviv to secular Jewish parents and raised in both Jerusalem and Philadelphia, Netanyahu returned to Israel immediately upon graduating high school in 1967 to join the Israel Defense Forces shortly after the Six-Day War,[5] and became a team leader in the Sayeret Matkal special forces unit.[6][7] Netanyahu took part in many missions, including Operation Inferno (1968), Operation Gift (1968) and Operation Isotope (1972), during which he was shot in the shoulder. Netanyahu fought on the front lines in the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War in 1973, taking part in special forces raids along the Suez Canal, and then leading a commando assault deep into Syrian territory.[8][9] Netanyahu achieved the rank of captain before being discharged. After graduating from MIT with a Bachelor of Science (SB) and a Master of Science (SM), Netanyahu became an economic consultant for the Boston Consulting Group. Netanyahu moved back to Israel in 1978 to found the Yonatan Netanyahu Anti-Terror Institute, named after his brother Yonatan Netanyahu, who died leading Operation Entebbe.
In 1984, Netanyahu was appointed the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, a role he held until 1988. He was subsequently elected to the Knesset, before becoming the leader of Likud in 1993; he led the party to victory at the 1996 election, becoming Israel's youngest-ever Prime Minister. After defeat in the 1999 election, Netanyahu left politics, returning to the private sector. He later returned to politics, serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance in the government of Ariel Sharon, but he would eventually resign over disagreements regarding the Gaza disengagement plan. As Finance Minister, Netanyahu initiated major reform of the Israeli economy, which was credited by commentators as having significantly improved Israel's subsequent economic performance.[10]
Netanyahu returned to the leadership of Likud in December 2005, after Sharon quit to form a new party, Kadima.[11] 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.[12][13][14] He went on to lead Likud to victory in the 2013 and 2015 elections.[15] Since December 2016, Netanyahu has been under investigation by Israeli police and prosecutors for a number of alleged corruption scandals, culminating in the Attorney General announcing his intent to file indictments against him in 2019.[16]
After the April 2019 election resulted in no party being able to form a government, a second election took place in September 2019. The centrist Blue and White party emerged slightly ahead of Netanyahu's Likud. However, Israeli president Reuven Rivlin chose Netanyahu, who has the support of 55 MPs, to try to form a coalition.
Born in Tel Aviv to secular Jewish parents and raised in both Jerusalem and Philadelphia, Netanyahu returned to Israel immediately upon graduating high school in 1967 to join the Israel Defense Forces shortly after the Six-Day War,[5] and became a team leader in the Sayeret Matkal special forces unit.[6][7] Netanyahu took part in many missions, including Operation Inferno (1968), Operation Gift (1968) and Operation Isotope (1972), during which he was shot in the shoulder. Netanyahu fought on the front lines in the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War in 1973, taking part in special forces raids along the Suez Canal, and then leading a commando assault deep into Syrian territory.[8][9] Netanyahu achieved the rank of captain before being discharged. After graduating from MIT with a Bachelor of Science (SB) and a Master of Science (SM), Netanyahu became an economic consultant for the Boston Consulting Group. Netanyahu moved back to Israel in 1978 to found the Yonatan Netanyahu Anti-Terror Institute, named after his brother Yonatan Netanyahu, who died leading Operation Entebbe.
In 1984, Netanyahu was appointed the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, a role he held until 1988. He was subsequently elected to the Knesset, before becoming the leader of Likud in 1993; he led the party to victory at the 1996 election, becoming Israel's youngest-ever Prime Minister. After defeat in the 1999 election, Netanyahu left politics, returning to the private sector. He later returned to politics, serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance in the government of Ariel Sharon, but he would eventually resign over disagreements regarding the Gaza disengagement plan. As Finance Minister, Netanyahu initiated major reform of the Israeli economy, which was credited by commentators as having significantly improved Israel's subsequent economic performance.[10]
Netanyahu returned to the leadership of Likud in December 2005, after Sharon quit to form a new party, Kadima.[11] 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.[12][13][14] He went on to lead Likud to victory in the 2013 and 2015 elections.[15] Since December 2016, Netanyahu has been under investigation by Israeli police and prosecutors for a number of alleged corruption scandals, culminating in the Attorney General announcing his intent to file indictments against him in 2019.[16]
After the April 2019 election resulted in no party being able to form a government, a second election took place in September 2019. The centrist Blue and White party emerged slightly ahead of Netanyahu's Likud. However, Israeli president Reuven Rivlin chose Netanyahu, who has the support of 55 MPs, to try to form a coalition.
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A Day With Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu | TIME
As Israel’s power is ascendant, Prime Minister's Netanyahu’s power is in danger and has been tested by corruption investigations and his inability to keep a ...
Thank you my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that October 21 is the anniversary of the birth of Sayeret Matkal special forces unit service member, Israeli politician serving as the 9th and current Prime Minister of Israel since 2009,
He was forthright with former POTUS Obama about the failed Iran nuclear deal and thankfully he outlasted him. Now that President Donald Trump is POTUS ...
Happy 70h Birthday Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu
A Day With Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu | TIME
"As Israel’s power is ascendant, Prime Minister's Netanyahu’s power is in danger and has been tested by corruption investigations and his inability to keep a coalition together. TIME spent a day and a half with the Prime Minister."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTD-_tToHJ4
Images:
1. Benjamin Netanyahu portrait.
2. Israeli Special Forces Sergeant Benjamin Netanyahu
3. Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, May 2017.
Background from jewishvirtuallibrary.org/benjamin-quot-bibi-quot-netanyahu
"Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu is a former Israeli special forces commando, diplomat and politician. He is currently the 17th Prime Minister of Israel.
Early Life
Netanyahu (born October 21, 1949) was born in Tel Aviv, grew up in Jerusalem and spent his adolescent years in the United States, where his father Benzion– a noted historian – taught Jewish history in Philadelphia.
In 1967, at the age of 18, Netanyahu returned to Israel to fulfill his military obligation in the Israel Defense Forces and volunteered for an elite commando unit. During his service, he participated in a number of daring operations including Operation Gift during the War of Attrition that freed hostages from a hijacked Sabena Airlines aircraft being held in Beirut, Lebanon. Netanyahu was wounded during this operation. He was discharged from the IDF after six years of service having attained the rank of captain following the Yom Kippur War.
Following his discharge, Netanyahu studied at MIT in Boston and received a B.S. in architecture and an M.S. in Management Studies. He also studied political science at MIT and Harvard University. In 1976, he was employed by the Boston Consulting Group, an international business consulting firm, where he befriended future American presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. Netanyahu later joined the management of Rim Industries in Jerusalem.
Much affected by the death of his eldest brother Yoni Netanyahu – who had famously fallen while commanding the 1976 Entebbe rescue operation to free the passengers of an Air France airliner held hostage in Uganda – Bibi initiated and organized two international conferences on ways to combat international terrorism, one in 1979 in Jerusalem and the other in 1984 in Washington, D.C. These forums attracted key political figures and opinion-makers in the international community.
In 1982, Netanyahu joined Israel’s diplomatic mission in the United States, serving for two years as Deputy Chief of Mission under Ambassador Moshe Arens. He was also a member of the first delegation to the talks on strategic cooperation between Israel and the United States. In 1984, Netanyahu was appointed Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations and held this position for four years. As U.N. ambassador, Netanyahu led the effort that opened the U.N. Nazi War Crimes Archives in 1987. An articulate speaker, forceful debater, and media-oriented diplomat, he played a key role in efforts to enhance Israel’s image and improve understanding of the country’s security needs among the American public and political elite.
Entering Politics
After returning to Israel in 1988, Netanyahu entered the political arena and was elected a Member of Knesset from the Likud party and was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He served in this position for four years that were marked by the First Intifada, the 1991 Gulf War, and the Madrid Peace Conference.
On March 25, 1993, Netanyahu was elected Chairman of the Likud and its candidate for prime minister. He led the political opposition in the period prior to and following the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin – a time characterized by volatile public debate over the Oslo agreements and escalating Palestinian terrorism. Many Israelis on the political left accused Netanyahu and his supporters of creating the conditions in which Rabin could be killed by a fellow Jew through their extreme rhetoric denouncing Rabin and the agreements he signed with the Palestinians.
In 1996, in the first direct elections of an Israeli prime minister, Netanyahu defeated incumbent Labor candidate Shimon Peres, and became the thirteenth prime minister of the State of Israel (and the ninth person to hold the position). He served in the position until the May 1999 elections when Labor Party leader Ehud Barak won the premiership.
After completing his term as Prime Minister, Netanyahu served as a business consultant to Israeli high-tech companies and was a popular speaker on the global lecture circuit. In 2002, he returned to politics, first as Minister of Foreign Affairs (November 2002 - February 2003) and then as Minister of Finance until August 2005.
In the February 2009 elections for the 18th Knesset, following the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Netanyahu’s Likud Party won the second most seats; nevertheless, he was given the opportunity to form coalition government since the Kadima Party, which won the most seats under the leadership of Tzipi Livni, could not secure a majority.
Bad Chemistry with Obama
During Netanyahu’s second term as prime minister, relations with the United States became frayed due to the lack of chemistry and policy differences with President Barack Obama. At the outset of his term, Obama made a number of decisions that upset Israel’s leaders, notably his decision to give a speech in Cairo without also visiting Israel, and demanding that Israel freeze settlements to reinvigorate the peace process with the Palestinians. Obama’s insistence that Israel stop building in East Jerusalem was particularly galling as Israel considers the entire city its capital and rejects the notion that Jews living there are “settlers.” Obama’s demand also went further than the Palestinians’ position to that point as they had negotiated with Netanyahu’s predecessor, Ehud Olmert, without insisting that Israel stop building settlements.
Netanyahu reluctantly agreed to a 10-month settlement freeze in the West Bank but not Jerusalem. Despite the concession, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas refused to enter negotiations for the duration of Obama’s term.
In May 2011, Netanyahu spoke before a joint session of the U.S. Congress and voiced his support for the creation of a Palestinian state, noting however that such a state would have to be demilitarized and could only be formed through direct, bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
In October 2012, Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, announced the merger of their two parties and plans to run on a joint ticket in the January 2013 general elections. During those elections, the Likud-Beiteinu partnership garnered a plurality of 31 seats and, in March 2013, Netanyahu formed a majority coalition with the Yesh Atid Party (Yair Lapid) and The Jewish Home (Naftali Bennett). This 33rd government was sworn in on March 18, 2013, with Netanyahu as prime minister. He also retained for himself the portfolios for foreign affairs and public affairs.
In a last ditch attempt to squeeze out as many far-right votes as he could, Netanyahu stated during an interview the day before the March 2015 election that there was no chance of the establishment of a Palestinian state while he was prime minister. In an interview with the Israeli news organization NRG, Netanyahu stated “whoever moves to establish a Palestinian state or intends to withdraw from territory is simply yielding territory for radical Islamic terrorist attacks against Israel.” When asked if that meant that no Palestinian state would be established while he was Prime Minister, he responded “indeed.”
Netanyahu declared victory over his political rivals as the last of the votes came in on the morning of March 18, 2015. The Likud Party received enough votes for 30 out of 120 seats in the Knesset, with the Zionist Union camp coming in second place, receiving enough votes for 24 seats. Netanyahu’s last minute appeals to right-wing voters, which included what some commentators interpreted as a racist claim that Arab citizens were voting in “droves,” energized his base and helped his party win the election.
From Obama to Trump
Netanyahu’s comments infuriated the Obama administration, prompting Netanyahu to apologize for the remark about Arab voters and backpedal on his comments regarding a Palestinian state. In an interview on MSNBC, he insisted that he had not changed his policy from his 2009 speech at Bar-Ilan University, but qualified his remarks by saying he was committed to Palestinian statehood only if the conditions in the Middle East improved.
Relations with the United States became especially tense over the issue of Iran as Obama’s Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated a deal aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. When Netanyahu accepted an invitation to address a joint session of Congress in March 2015 to express his opposition to a deal with Iran, without first consulting the White House, relations with the administration reached their nadir.
The election of Donald Trump led to a dramatic reversal in relations with the White House as the new president expressed unabashedly pro-Israel positions during his campaign and at the outset of his administration, highlighted by the decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv.
Personal Life
Netanyahu has been married three times. Netanyahu’s first marriage was to Miriam Weizmann, whom he met in Israel. The couple had one daughter, Noa (born April 29, 1978). While Weizmann was pregnant, Netanyahu met a non-Jewish British student named Fleur Cates and began an affair. His marriage ended in divorce when his wife discovered the affair. In 1981, Netanyahu married Cates, who converted to Judaism. The couple divorced in 1984.
His third wife, Sara Ben-Artzi, was divorced and working as a flight attendant for El Al when they met. She was in the process of completing a master’s degree in psychology. The couple married in 1991 after she became pregnant and have two sons: Yair and Avner.
In 1993, Netanyahu confessed on live television to having had an affair with Ruth Bar, his married public relations adviser. He said that a political rival had planted a secret video camera that had recorded him in a sexually compromising position with Bar, and that he had been threatened with the release of the tape to the press unless he quit the Likud leadership race. Netanyahu and Sara repaired their marriage, and he was elected to the leadership of Likud.
Scandals
Netanyahu has remained popular in Israel due in part to his tough stands against terrorism and Iran, a thriving economy, and a lack of serious opposition even as he and his wife Sara have come under investigation for a number of scandals.
A report into the spending of Prime Minister Netanyahu prepared by State Comptroller Yosef Shapira was released on February 17, 2015. Included in the report were records of extravagant spending by the prime minister and his wife at their official residence, such as $18,000 spent on takeout food in a single year, despite the fact that they were provided with a personal chef with a full staff at their residence. The Netanyahu’s reportedly also spent $2,120 per month cleaning their beach home, and the cleaning costs at their main residence in Jerusalem mysteriously doubled to more than $300,000 between 2009 and 2013. Included in the report as well are allegations that government employees were asked to pay out of pocket for many of the prime minister’s personal expenses, and were not reimbursed.
No charges were filed as a result of the 2015 report. On June 21, 2018, however, Sara was indicted on charges of fraud and breach of public trust after falsely misrepresenting the employment status of cooks at the prime minister’s official residence and fraudulently spending an estimated $100,000 on takeout food orders between 2010 and 2013.
The prime minister has also been associated with four scandals that have garnered widespread publicity in Israel:
“Case 1000” involves allegations that Netanyahu, Sara and their son Yair received lavish gifts from Israeli-born Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer, including expensive cigars and champagne.
“Case 2000” involves allegations that Netanyahu tried to strike a deal him with the publisher of Israel’s second largest newspaper, Yedioth Achronot, to get more favorable coverage in exchange for taking steps to weaken Yediot’s rival, Israel Hayom, which has enjoyed a competitive advantage because it is free. Ironically, Israel Hayom, is viewed as sympathetic to Netanyahu and owned by his avid supporter, American billionaire Sheldon Adelson.
“Case 3000,” also known as the “Submarine Affair,” involves allegations of bribery in a submarine deal between Israel and Germany. Netanyahu has not been directly implicated in the case; however, his former bureau chief has been suspected of taking bribes in the case.
“Case 4000,” also known as the “Bezeq affair,” accuses Shlomo Filber, director general of the Communications Ministry and a former top aide to Netanyahu, with providing Bezeq confidential documents and other information from which the company stood to benefit. As in Case 3000, Netanyahu does not appear to be directly involved.
Though the Israeli media has spent months reporting on the scandals, and some journalists have predicted the prime minister’s indictment and downfall, no charges have been filed against him in any of the cases.
Publications
Netanyahu has written a number of books that appeared in Hebrew and English, with some also translated into Russian, French, Arabic, Japanese and other languages, among them Self Portrait of a Hero: From the Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu 1963-1976 (edited 1978), International Terrorism: Challenge and Response (edited 1979), Terrorism: How the West Can Win (edited 1987); A Durable Peace: Israel and Its Place Among the Nations (1992); and Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism (1996).
Sources: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
Wikipedia;
David Margolick, “Star of Zion,” Vanity Fair, (June 5, 1996).
Emma Batha, “The Netanyahus: A colourful partnership,” BBC Online, (March 28, 2000);
Binyamin Netanyahu faces damning expenses accusations ahead of elections, The Gaurdian (February 17, 2015);
Maayan Lubell, Netanyahu says no Palestinian state as long as he's prime minister, Reuters (March 16, 2015);
Deep Wounds and Lingering Questions After Israel’s Bitter Race, New York Times (March 17, 2015);
Jodi Rudoren and Julie Hirschfeld Davis, “Netanyahu Apologizes; White House Is Unmoved,” New York Times, (March 23, 2015);
Judy Maltz, “All the Scandals Involving Netanyahu, and Where They Stand,” Haaretz, (September 5, 2017);
Yonah Jeremy Bob, Sara Netanyahu Indicted for Falsely Charging State $100k for Meals, The Jerusalem Post, (June 21, 2018). "
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He was forthright with former POTUS Obama about the failed Iran nuclear deal and thankfully he outlasted him. Now that President Donald Trump is POTUS ...
Happy 70h Birthday Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu
A Day With Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu | TIME
"As Israel’s power is ascendant, Prime Minister's Netanyahu’s power is in danger and has been tested by corruption investigations and his inability to keep a coalition together. TIME spent a day and a half with the Prime Minister."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTD-_tToHJ4
Images:
1. Benjamin Netanyahu portrait.
2. Israeli Special Forces Sergeant Benjamin Netanyahu
3. Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, May 2017.
Background from jewishvirtuallibrary.org/benjamin-quot-bibi-quot-netanyahu
"Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu is a former Israeli special forces commando, diplomat and politician. He is currently the 17th Prime Minister of Israel.
Early Life
Netanyahu (born October 21, 1949) was born in Tel Aviv, grew up in Jerusalem and spent his adolescent years in the United States, where his father Benzion– a noted historian – taught Jewish history in Philadelphia.
In 1967, at the age of 18, Netanyahu returned to Israel to fulfill his military obligation in the Israel Defense Forces and volunteered for an elite commando unit. During his service, he participated in a number of daring operations including Operation Gift during the War of Attrition that freed hostages from a hijacked Sabena Airlines aircraft being held in Beirut, Lebanon. Netanyahu was wounded during this operation. He was discharged from the IDF after six years of service having attained the rank of captain following the Yom Kippur War.
Following his discharge, Netanyahu studied at MIT in Boston and received a B.S. in architecture and an M.S. in Management Studies. He also studied political science at MIT and Harvard University. In 1976, he was employed by the Boston Consulting Group, an international business consulting firm, where he befriended future American presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. Netanyahu later joined the management of Rim Industries in Jerusalem.
Much affected by the death of his eldest brother Yoni Netanyahu – who had famously fallen while commanding the 1976 Entebbe rescue operation to free the passengers of an Air France airliner held hostage in Uganda – Bibi initiated and organized two international conferences on ways to combat international terrorism, one in 1979 in Jerusalem and the other in 1984 in Washington, D.C. These forums attracted key political figures and opinion-makers in the international community.
In 1982, Netanyahu joined Israel’s diplomatic mission in the United States, serving for two years as Deputy Chief of Mission under Ambassador Moshe Arens. He was also a member of the first delegation to the talks on strategic cooperation between Israel and the United States. In 1984, Netanyahu was appointed Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations and held this position for four years. As U.N. ambassador, Netanyahu led the effort that opened the U.N. Nazi War Crimes Archives in 1987. An articulate speaker, forceful debater, and media-oriented diplomat, he played a key role in efforts to enhance Israel’s image and improve understanding of the country’s security needs among the American public and political elite.
Entering Politics
After returning to Israel in 1988, Netanyahu entered the political arena and was elected a Member of Knesset from the Likud party and was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He served in this position for four years that were marked by the First Intifada, the 1991 Gulf War, and the Madrid Peace Conference.
On March 25, 1993, Netanyahu was elected Chairman of the Likud and its candidate for prime minister. He led the political opposition in the period prior to and following the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin – a time characterized by volatile public debate over the Oslo agreements and escalating Palestinian terrorism. Many Israelis on the political left accused Netanyahu and his supporters of creating the conditions in which Rabin could be killed by a fellow Jew through their extreme rhetoric denouncing Rabin and the agreements he signed with the Palestinians.
In 1996, in the first direct elections of an Israeli prime minister, Netanyahu defeated incumbent Labor candidate Shimon Peres, and became the thirteenth prime minister of the State of Israel (and the ninth person to hold the position). He served in the position until the May 1999 elections when Labor Party leader Ehud Barak won the premiership.
After completing his term as Prime Minister, Netanyahu served as a business consultant to Israeli high-tech companies and was a popular speaker on the global lecture circuit. In 2002, he returned to politics, first as Minister of Foreign Affairs (November 2002 - February 2003) and then as Minister of Finance until August 2005.
In the February 2009 elections for the 18th Knesset, following the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Netanyahu’s Likud Party won the second most seats; nevertheless, he was given the opportunity to form coalition government since the Kadima Party, which won the most seats under the leadership of Tzipi Livni, could not secure a majority.
Bad Chemistry with Obama
During Netanyahu’s second term as prime minister, relations with the United States became frayed due to the lack of chemistry and policy differences with President Barack Obama. At the outset of his term, Obama made a number of decisions that upset Israel’s leaders, notably his decision to give a speech in Cairo without also visiting Israel, and demanding that Israel freeze settlements to reinvigorate the peace process with the Palestinians. Obama’s insistence that Israel stop building in East Jerusalem was particularly galling as Israel considers the entire city its capital and rejects the notion that Jews living there are “settlers.” Obama’s demand also went further than the Palestinians’ position to that point as they had negotiated with Netanyahu’s predecessor, Ehud Olmert, without insisting that Israel stop building settlements.
Netanyahu reluctantly agreed to a 10-month settlement freeze in the West Bank but not Jerusalem. Despite the concession, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas refused to enter negotiations for the duration of Obama’s term.
In May 2011, Netanyahu spoke before a joint session of the U.S. Congress and voiced his support for the creation of a Palestinian state, noting however that such a state would have to be demilitarized and could only be formed through direct, bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
In October 2012, Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, announced the merger of their two parties and plans to run on a joint ticket in the January 2013 general elections. During those elections, the Likud-Beiteinu partnership garnered a plurality of 31 seats and, in March 2013, Netanyahu formed a majority coalition with the Yesh Atid Party (Yair Lapid) and The Jewish Home (Naftali Bennett). This 33rd government was sworn in on March 18, 2013, with Netanyahu as prime minister. He also retained for himself the portfolios for foreign affairs and public affairs.
In a last ditch attempt to squeeze out as many far-right votes as he could, Netanyahu stated during an interview the day before the March 2015 election that there was no chance of the establishment of a Palestinian state while he was prime minister. In an interview with the Israeli news organization NRG, Netanyahu stated “whoever moves to establish a Palestinian state or intends to withdraw from territory is simply yielding territory for radical Islamic terrorist attacks against Israel.” When asked if that meant that no Palestinian state would be established while he was Prime Minister, he responded “indeed.”
Netanyahu declared victory over his political rivals as the last of the votes came in on the morning of March 18, 2015. The Likud Party received enough votes for 30 out of 120 seats in the Knesset, with the Zionist Union camp coming in second place, receiving enough votes for 24 seats. Netanyahu’s last minute appeals to right-wing voters, which included what some commentators interpreted as a racist claim that Arab citizens were voting in “droves,” energized his base and helped his party win the election.
From Obama to Trump
Netanyahu’s comments infuriated the Obama administration, prompting Netanyahu to apologize for the remark about Arab voters and backpedal on his comments regarding a Palestinian state. In an interview on MSNBC, he insisted that he had not changed his policy from his 2009 speech at Bar-Ilan University, but qualified his remarks by saying he was committed to Palestinian statehood only if the conditions in the Middle East improved.
Relations with the United States became especially tense over the issue of Iran as Obama’s Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated a deal aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. When Netanyahu accepted an invitation to address a joint session of Congress in March 2015 to express his opposition to a deal with Iran, without first consulting the White House, relations with the administration reached their nadir.
The election of Donald Trump led to a dramatic reversal in relations with the White House as the new president expressed unabashedly pro-Israel positions during his campaign and at the outset of his administration, highlighted by the decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv.
Personal Life
Netanyahu has been married three times. Netanyahu’s first marriage was to Miriam Weizmann, whom he met in Israel. The couple had one daughter, Noa (born April 29, 1978). While Weizmann was pregnant, Netanyahu met a non-Jewish British student named Fleur Cates and began an affair. His marriage ended in divorce when his wife discovered the affair. In 1981, Netanyahu married Cates, who converted to Judaism. The couple divorced in 1984.
His third wife, Sara Ben-Artzi, was divorced and working as a flight attendant for El Al when they met. She was in the process of completing a master’s degree in psychology. The couple married in 1991 after she became pregnant and have two sons: Yair and Avner.
In 1993, Netanyahu confessed on live television to having had an affair with Ruth Bar, his married public relations adviser. He said that a political rival had planted a secret video camera that had recorded him in a sexually compromising position with Bar, and that he had been threatened with the release of the tape to the press unless he quit the Likud leadership race. Netanyahu and Sara repaired their marriage, and he was elected to the leadership of Likud.
Scandals
Netanyahu has remained popular in Israel due in part to his tough stands against terrorism and Iran, a thriving economy, and a lack of serious opposition even as he and his wife Sara have come under investigation for a number of scandals.
A report into the spending of Prime Minister Netanyahu prepared by State Comptroller Yosef Shapira was released on February 17, 2015. Included in the report were records of extravagant spending by the prime minister and his wife at their official residence, such as $18,000 spent on takeout food in a single year, despite the fact that they were provided with a personal chef with a full staff at their residence. The Netanyahu’s reportedly also spent $2,120 per month cleaning their beach home, and the cleaning costs at their main residence in Jerusalem mysteriously doubled to more than $300,000 between 2009 and 2013. Included in the report as well are allegations that government employees were asked to pay out of pocket for many of the prime minister’s personal expenses, and were not reimbursed.
No charges were filed as a result of the 2015 report. On June 21, 2018, however, Sara was indicted on charges of fraud and breach of public trust after falsely misrepresenting the employment status of cooks at the prime minister’s official residence and fraudulently spending an estimated $100,000 on takeout food orders between 2010 and 2013.
The prime minister has also been associated with four scandals that have garnered widespread publicity in Israel:
“Case 1000” involves allegations that Netanyahu, Sara and their son Yair received lavish gifts from Israeli-born Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer, including expensive cigars and champagne.
“Case 2000” involves allegations that Netanyahu tried to strike a deal him with the publisher of Israel’s second largest newspaper, Yedioth Achronot, to get more favorable coverage in exchange for taking steps to weaken Yediot’s rival, Israel Hayom, which has enjoyed a competitive advantage because it is free. Ironically, Israel Hayom, is viewed as sympathetic to Netanyahu and owned by his avid supporter, American billionaire Sheldon Adelson.
“Case 3000,” also known as the “Submarine Affair,” involves allegations of bribery in a submarine deal between Israel and Germany. Netanyahu has not been directly implicated in the case; however, his former bureau chief has been suspected of taking bribes in the case.
“Case 4000,” also known as the “Bezeq affair,” accuses Shlomo Filber, director general of the Communications Ministry and a former top aide to Netanyahu, with providing Bezeq confidential documents and other information from which the company stood to benefit. As in Case 3000, Netanyahu does not appear to be directly involved.
Though the Israeli media has spent months reporting on the scandals, and some journalists have predicted the prime minister’s indictment and downfall, no charges have been filed against him in any of the cases.
Publications
Netanyahu has written a number of books that appeared in Hebrew and English, with some also translated into Russian, French, Arabic, Japanese and other languages, among them Self Portrait of a Hero: From the Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu 1963-1976 (edited 1978), International Terrorism: Challenge and Response (edited 1979), Terrorism: How the West Can Win (edited 1987); A Durable Peace: Israel and Its Place Among the Nations (1992); and Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism (1996).
Sources: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
Wikipedia;
David Margolick, “Star of Zion,” Vanity Fair, (June 5, 1996).
Emma Batha, “The Netanyahus: A colourful partnership,” BBC Online, (March 28, 2000);
Binyamin Netanyahu faces damning expenses accusations ahead of elections, The Gaurdian (February 17, 2015);
Maayan Lubell, Netanyahu says no Palestinian state as long as he's prime minister, Reuters (March 16, 2015);
Deep Wounds and Lingering Questions After Israel’s Bitter Race, New York Times (March 17, 2015);
Jodi Rudoren and Julie Hirschfeld Davis, “Netanyahu Apologizes; White House Is Unmoved,” New York Times, (March 23, 2015);
Judy Maltz, “All the Scandals Involving Netanyahu, and Where They Stand,” Haaretz, (September 5, 2017);
Yonah Jeremy Bob, Sara Netanyahu Indicted for Falsely Charging State $100k for Meals, The Jerusalem Post, (June 21, 2018). "
FYI LCpl Donald FaucettCPT (Join to see) MSgt David Hoffman
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Sgt John H.PVT Mark Zehner1sg-dan-capriSGT Robert R.CPT Tommy CurtisSGT (Join to see) SGT Steve McFarlandCol Carl WhickerSFC David XantenSSG Michael Noll
Cpl James R. " Jim" Gossett Jr SPC Jon O.
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LTC Stephen F.
FYI SPC Diana Rodriguez SPC Diana D. SSG Diane R. LTC Hillary Luton Maj Kim Patterson Sgt Kelli Mays SFC (Join to see) SGT Elizabeth S SSG(P) James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" MSG Andrew White SSG(P) (Join to see) 1SG Steven Imerman COL Mikel J. Burroughs Col Carl Whicker Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen MAJ Rene De La Rosa TSgt David L.Cynthia CroftSSgt Brian Brakke Sgt Albert Castro
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LTC Stephen F. - Sir, Thanks for sharing this information on Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel. His brother Yonatan was the only Israeli soldier who died while he and his men sought out the hostage crisis on Operation Entebbe.
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