Benjamin Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu was born in Tel Aviv, spent part of his youth in the United States, and served in an elite Israeli military unit before entering diplomacy and politics. Leading the Likud party, he became Israel's longest-serving prime minister across multiple terms. He built his career on a hard line toward the Palestinians and Iran, close ties with the United States, and normalization deals with Arab states known as the Abraham Accords. His attempt to overhaul the judiciary drew mass protests in 2023, and he faced a long-running corruption trial. His government was in power when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, and he directed the ensuing war in Gaza, whose conduct and death toll drew both domestic and international condemnation as well as strong support.