BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: FROM ELITE SOLDIER TO ISRAEL’S LONGEST-SERVING PRIME MINISTER
Benjamin Netanyahu began his military service in 1967, joining Israel’s elite Sayeret Matkal special forces unit. In 1972, he participated in an operation involving a hijacked Sabena Airlines plane. He later entered diplomacy, serving as Israel’s Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington from 1982 to 1984 and as Ambassador to the United Nations from 1984 to 1988.
Netanyahu first became prime minister in 1996, serving until 1999. He returned to power in 2009 and remained in office until 2021, before beginning another term in December 2022.
Known for his hard-line security policies and confrontational approach toward Israel’s regional adversaries, Netanyahu remains one of the country’s most influential and controversial political figures. His supporters view him as a strong defender of Israeli security, while critics question his policies and their consequences for regional stability and the Palestinian people.
His elder brother, Yonatan Netanyahu, was killed in 1976 while commanding Israeli forces during the Entebbe hostage-rescue operation in Uganda.
From military service and diplomacy to decades at the highest levels of government, Netanyahu’s career has been closely tied to Israel’s security and political challenges.
QUESTION: What do you like or dislike about Benjamin Netanyahu? Share your views in the comments.