Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician who served as the Prime Minister of Israel for a total of 15 years, making him the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history. He first served as prime minister from 1996 to 1999, then from 2009 to 2021. Prior to his political career, Netanyahu served in the Israeli military and worked as a diplomat. He is known for his conservative and nationalist views, as well as his hawkish stance on national security and foreign policy. His policies have been controversial both domestically and internationally, particularly in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Benjamin Netanyahu has been married three times and has two children.
His first marriage was to Miriam Weizmann, a flight attendant, in 1972. They had one daughter, Noa, before their divorce in 1978.
In 1981, Netanyahu married Fleur Cates, a British woman whom he met while she was studying in Israel. They had no children together and divorced in 1984.
In 1991, Netanyahu married his third wife, Sara Ben-Artzi, a psychologist and the sister of Israeli writer and political activist, the late Shmuel Ben-Artzi. The couple has two sons, Yair and Avner.
Netanyahu’s sons have been involved in politics and controversy as well. Yair Netanyahu has been criticized for his controversial social media posts and his perceived influence on his father’s policies. Avner Netanyahu, who served in the Israeli military, has largely stayed out of the public eye.
Netanyahu’s family has also been embroiled in various scandals and controversies over the years, including allegations of corruption, misuse of government funds, and improper behavior.
Benjamin Netanyahu was born on October 21, 1949, in Tel Aviv, Israel. He grew up in Jerusalem and later attended high school in the United States. After completing his military service in the Israeli Defense Forces, Netanyahu attended college in the United States, where he earned degrees in architecture and political science.
Netanyahu began his political career in the 1980s, serving as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations and later as a member of the Israeli Knesset (parliament) for the right-wing Likud party. In 1996, he was elected prime minister of Israel, but his first term was marked by political turmoil and controversy, including a corruption scandal that led to his defeat in the 1999 elections.
After several years out of politics, Netanyahu returned to the prime minister’s office in 2009, following the victory of the right-wing Likud party in the general elections. He was re-elected in 2013 and 2015, and again in 2019, but his fourth term was marked by political gridlock, corruption allegations, and a polarized electorate.
Throughout his political career, Netanyahu has been a controversial figure, both in Israel and abroad. He is known for his hardline stance on national security and foreign policy, particularly his opposition to the Iranian nuclear program, his support for Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and his opposition to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has also been criticized for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, and for his role in the ongoing corruption trial against him.
