Last Updated:

2024-02-02 01:22:13

Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli politician and longest-serving prime minister

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Israeli politician and longest-serving prime minister

Benjamin Netanyahu, also known as Bibi, has been the prime minister of Israel for over 16 years. He is the chairman of the Likud party and the first prime minister born in Israel. Netanyahu has faced both domestic and international challenges during his tenure, including leading Israel's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis. He has also been criticized for his government's handling of the Israel–Hamas war and faced accusations of genocide. Netanyahu's close relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump and his controversial policies regarding Israeli settlements in the West Bank have drawn international criticism. In 2019, Netanyahu was indicted on charges of breach of trust, bribery, and fraud.

David Ben-Gurion Yitzhak Rabin Benny Gantz Golda Meir Israel Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Mossad Ben Bernanke Chaim Weizmann Israel–Hamas War

1949

Benjamin Netanyahu - Former Prime Minister of Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician who served as the Prime Minister of Israel for several terms. He began his political career in the 1980s and served as the Prime Minister from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021.

1949-10-21

Benjamin Netanyahu's Birth

Benjamin Netanyahu, also known as Bibi, was born in Tel Aviv, Israel to secular Jewish parents. His father was a historian specializing in the Jewish Golden age of Spain.

1967

Benjamin Netanyahu's Enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces

After graduating from high school, Netanyahu returned to Israel to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces. He trained as a combat soldier and served for five years in a special forces unit of the IDF, Sayeret Matkal.

1978

Foundation of the Yonatan Netanyahu Anti-Terror Institute

In 1978, Benjamin Netanyahu founded the Yonatan Netanyahu Anti-Terror Institute after returning to Israel from the United States.

1993

Election as Chairman of Likud

Benjamin Netanyahu rose to prominence after being elected as the chairman of Likud in 1993, becoming Leader of the Opposition.

1995

Tightening Immigration Laws

In his 1995 book, Netanyahu strongly argued for tightening immigration laws in the West as the most effective method to combat terrorism.

1996-01-01

Opening of Western Wall Tunnel Exit

In 1996, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Jerusalem's mayor Ehud Olmert decided to open an exit in the Arab Quarter for the Western Wall Tunnel, sparking three days of rioting by Palestinians.

1996-05-29

Victory in the 1996 Israeli Legislative Election

On 29 May 1996, Netanyahu won the 1996 Israeli legislative election, becoming the youngest person in the history of the position and the first Israeli prime minister to be born in the State of Israel.

1996-09-04

First Meeting with Palestinian President Arafat

Prime Minister Netanyahu first met Palestinian President Arafat on 4 September 1996, which marked the beginning of a series of meetings and talks between the two leaders.

1997-01-14

Signing of the Hebron Protocol

The signing of the Hebron Protocol with the Palestinian Authority resulted in the redeployment of Israeli forces in Hebron and the turnover of civilian authority in much of the area to the control of the Palestinian Authority.

1997-09-27

Mossad Operation to Assassinate Hamas Leader Khaled Mashal

In 1997, Netanyahu authorized a Mossad operation to assassinate Hamas leader Khaled Mashal in Jordan, leading to a diplomatic crisis with Jordan and the eventual release of prisoners as part of the resolution.

1998-11-17

Approval of the Wye River Memorandum

On 17 November 1998, Israel's 120 member parliament, the Knesset, approved the Wye River Memorandum by a vote of 75–19, detailing the steps to be taken by the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority to implement the earlier Interim Agreement of 1995.

1999

Defeat in the 1999 Israeli Prime Ministerial Election

After being defeated by Ehud Barak in the 1999 Israeli prime ministerial election, Netanyahu temporarily retired from politics.

2002-09-12

Testimony on Iraqi Regime's Nuclear Threat

On 12 September 2002, Netanyahu testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding the nuclear threat posed by the Iraqi régime.

2003-01-01

Appointment as Minister of Finance

Netanyahu served as the Minister of Finance of Israel from 2003 to 2005, during which he implemented economic liberalization policies.

2004

Threat to Resign

Netanyahu threatened to resign from office in 2004 unless the Gaza pullout plan was put to a referendum.

2005-08-07

Resignation

Netanyahu submitted his resignation letter on 7 August 2005, shortly before the Israeli cabinet voted 17 to 5 to approve the initial phase of withdrawal from Gaza.

2007-03-08

Netanyahu's Comparison of Nazi Germany and Iran

In an interview with CNN, Netanyahu compared Nazi Germany and the Islamic Republic of Iran, highlighting the difference in their approach to seeking atomic weapons. He reiterated these remarks at a news conference in April 2008.

2009-02-10

2009 Israeli Legislative Election

Netanyahu was the Likud's candidate for prime minister in the 2009 Israeli legislative election which took place on 10 February 2009.

2009-02-20

Designated as Prime Minister

On 20 February 2009, Netanyahu was designated by Israeli President Shimon Peres to succeed Ehud Olmert as prime minister.

2009-06-14

Netanyahu's Bar-Ilan Speech

Netanyahu delivered a seminal address at Bar-Ilan University, endorsing for the first time the notion of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, while demanding the full demilitarization of the proposed state and an undivided Jerusalem as Israeli territory.

2009-08-09

Netanyahu Repeats Claims on Palestinian Recognition

Netanyahu repeated his claims for an agreement with the recognition of Israel as the national state of the Jewish people and a security settlement.

2009-09-24

Netanyahu's Address to the United Nations General Assembly

Netanyahu emphasized the threat posed by Iran and urged the world body to prevent the Islamic Republic from obtaining nuclear weapons.

2009-11-25

Netanyahu's Announcement of Partial Settlement Construction Freeze

Netanyahu announced a partial 10-month settlement construction freeze plan, which was rejected by the Palestinians as insignificant.

2010-03-09

Benjamin Netanyahu meets Joe Biden in Jerusalem

Benjamin Netanyahu walked past Joe Biden as he prepared to sign the guestbook at the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem in 2010.

2010-09

Direct Talks with Palestinians

In September 2010, Netanyahu agreed to enter direct talks, mediated by the Obama administration, with the Palestinians for the first time in a long while. The aim was to forge the framework of an official 'final status settlement' to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict by forming a two-state solution for the Jewish people and the Palestinian people.

2011-07

Robert Gates Criticism

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates criticized Netanyahu, stating that he was ungrateful to the United States and endangering Israel upon retiring from office in July 2011.

2011-11

Unprecedented Security Cooperation with the U.S.

In November 2011, under the leadership of Netanyahu and Obama, Israel and the United States enjoyed unprecedented security cooperation, as stated by a U.S. State Department representative.

2012-07-29

Netanyahu's Opinion on Sanctions and Diplomacy Against Iran

Netanyahu expressed his opinion that the sanctions and diplomacy against Iran had not set back the Iranian nuclear program, indicating the ineffectiveness of these measures.

2012-09-28

Netanyahu's Speech at the UN General Assembly on Iran's Uranium Enrichment

Netanyahu set forward a 'red line' of 90% uranium enrichment for Iran, illustrating the potential risks for Israel and emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

2012-10-25

Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu Merger

On 25 October 2012, Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced that their respective political parties, Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu, had merged and would run together on a single ballot in Israel's 22 January 2013 general elections.

2013-10

Netanyahu's Interview with BBC Persian Service

Netanyahu praised the history of Persia and warned about the consequences of the Iranian regime having nuclear weapons, highlighting the potential impact on the Iranian people.

2013-12

Business Concentration Law

In December 2013, the Knesset approved the Business Concentration Law, which intended to open Israel's highly concentrated economy to competition to lower consumer prices, reduce income inequality, and increase economic growth. Netanyahu had formed the Concentration Committee in 2010, and the bill, which was pushed forward by his government, implemented its recommendations.

2014-06-30

Operation Protective Edge

Netanyahu launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip after the bodies of three Israeli teenagers were discovered and Hamas declared it would launch rockets from Gaza into Israel.

2014-12-02

Dismissal of Ministers and Government Dissolution

Netanyahu fired two of his ministers, leading to the dissolution of the government and new elections expected in March 2015.

2015-03-03

Objections to Congress Speech

Israeli consuls general in the United States expected fierce negative reaction from U.S. Jewish communities and Israel's allies leading up to Netanyahu's speech to Congress.

2015-03-17

Stance on Palestinian State

Netanyahu answered 'indeed' when asked whether a Palestinian state would not be established in his term, expressing concerns about yielding territory for radical Islamic terrorists.

2015-05-06

Netanyahu formed coalition government

Netanyahu formed a coalition government within two hours of the midnight 6 May deadline, with his Likud party forming the coalition with Jewish Home, United Torah Judaism, Kulanu, and Shas.

2016-01-06

Netanyahu Engages in War of Words with Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel

On January 6, 2016, Benjamin Netanyahu was involved in a war of words with a former U.S. Ambassador to Israel.

2016-03

Potential crisis in Netanyahu's coalition

In March 2016, Netanyahu's coalition faced a potential crisis as ultra-Orthodox members threatened to withdraw over the government's proposed steps to create non-Orthodox prayer space at the Western Wall.

2017-05-22

Netanyahu's Altered Video to Trump

Former United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stated that Netanyahu showed Donald Trump a fake and altered video of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas calling for the killing of children to change Trump's position in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

2017-10-12

Netanyahu's government left UNESCO

On 12 October 2017, Netanyahu's government announced it was leaving UNESCO due to what it saw as anti-Israel actions by the agency.

2018-02-13

Israeli police recommended charges against Netanyahu

On 13 February 2018, Israeli police recommended that Netanyahu be charged with corruption, bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in the two cases.

2018-04-30

Netanyahu accused Iran of not holding up its end of the Iran nuclear deal

On 30 April 2018, Netanyahu accused Iran of not holding up its end of the Iran nuclear deal after presenting a cache of over 100,000 documents detailing the extent of Iran's nuclear program.

2018-07-19

Knesset passed the Nation-State Bill

On 19 July 2018, the Knesset passed the Nation-State Bill, a Basic Law supported by Netanyahu's coalition government.

2019-02-28

Israeli attorney general announced intent to file indictments against Netanyahu

On 28 February 2019, the Israeli attorney general announced his intent to file indictments against Netanyahu on bribe and fraud charges in three different cases.

2019-03-28

Netanyahu Shares FRONTLINE Clip Lecturing Obama

During his re-election campaign on March 28, 2019, Benjamin Netanyahu resurfaced a FRONTLINE clip of him lecturing former U.S. President Barack Obama.

2019-05-29

Netanyahu's Failed Attempt to Form Government

Following the election, Netanyahu was given the opportunity to form a government by President Reuven Rivlin, but he was unable to do so by the deadline of 29th May. As a result, the mandate to form a government returned to Rivlin. Before he could grant the mandate to another individual, Netanyahu successfully pushed to dissolve the Knesset on 30th May, leading to new elections in September.

2019-11-21

Netanyahu formally indicted

Netanyahu was formally indicted on 21 November 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, making him the first sitting prime minister in Israel's history to be charged with a crime.

2019-11-21

Netanyahu Indicted for Fraud, Bribery, and Breach of Trust

On November 21, 2019, Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was charged with fraud, bribery, and breach of trust.

2019-11-23

Netanyahu relinquished portfolios

On 23 November 2019, Netanyahu relinquished his agriculture, health, social affairs, and diaspora affairs portfolios in compliance with legal precedent set by the Israeli Supreme Court in 1993.

2020-01-28

Netanyahu's criminal trial officially began

Netanyahu's criminal trial was officially set to begin on 28 January 2020, after being initially scheduled for March of the previous year but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020-05-17

Netanyahu Sworn in for Fifth Term

Netanyahu was sworn in for a fifth term as prime minister in a coalition with Benny Gantz amidst extensive demonstrations against him due to the COVID-19 pandemic and his criminal trial.

2021-01-05

Premiere of Netanyahu at War Documentary on PBS

The documentary 'Netanyahu at War' is set to premiere on PBS on January 5th. It provides an in-depth look at the political career and leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu during times of conflict and war.

2021-06-13

Netanyahu Ousted as Prime Minister

Bennett and Lapid formed a coalition government, ousting Netanyahu from his position as prime minister after 12 years.

2021-11-01

Bibi's Return to Power

On 1 November 2021, Benjamin Netanyahu, commonly known as Bibi, returned to power following the elections. The approval of Aviv Kochavi's appointment played a role in this political development.

2022-12-29

Netanyahu Sworn in for Sixth Term

Netanyahu was sworn in as prime minister again, starting his sixth term, and focused on reforms in the judicial branch which drew widespread criticism.

2023-10-07

Netanyahu Initiates State of War Against Hamas

Netanyahu announced that Israel would enter a state of war against Hamas after a major surprise attack, leading to increased calls for his resignation.

2023-10-28

Netanyahu Accused of Using Dangerous Rhetoric

Netanyahu was accused of using 'dangerous rhetoric' when comparing Hamas to Amalek, leading to criticism and deletion of the post.

2023-11-11

Netanyahu Rejects Calls for Cease-fire in Israel–Hamas War

Netanyahu rejected calls for a cease-fire in the Israel–Hamas war and warned that Israel will 'stand firm against the world if necessary.'

2023-12-05

Netanyahu Faces Criticism During Meeting with Released Israeli Hostages

Netanyahu faced criticism during a meeting with released Israeli hostages, with one accusing him of putting politics 'above the return of the kidnapped.'

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Benjamin Netanyahu