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102-786: Benjamin Netanyahu Likud Ehud Barak One Israel Early general elections for both the Prime Minister and the Knesset were held in Israel on 17 May 1999 following a vote of no confidence in the government; the incumbent Likud Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , ran for re-election. This election was only the second time in Israeli history an election had been held for the Prime Minister's post in addition to elections for

204-695: A captain before being honorably discharged. After graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Netanyahu worked for the Boston Consulting Group and moved back to Israel in 1978 to found the Yonatan Netanyahu Anti-Terror Institute . Between 1984 and 1988 Netanyahu was Israel's ambassador to the United Nations . Netanyahu rose to prominence after election as chair of Likud in 1993 , becoming leader of

306-405: A coma , observed Mashal's symptoms to be consistent with an opioid overdose . They administered the antidote, which saved Mashal's life. According to Ronen Bergman based on internal IDF sources, Mashal's antidote only secured the release of the two Mossad Kidon agents that were carrying out the assassination attempt. At least six other Mossad agents involved in the operations were holed up in

408-423: A rotation agreement between Netanyahu and Benny Gantz . This collapsed in 2020, leading to a March 2021 election . In June 2021, Netanyahu was removed from the premiership, before returning after the 2022 election . Netanyahu's coalition pursued judicial reform , which was met with protests in early 2023 . In October 2023, Israel suffered a large-scale attack by Hamas -led Palestinian groups, triggering

510-767: A Palestinian state." In 1978, Netanyahu returned to Israel. Between 1978 and 1980, he ran the Jonathan Netanyahu Anti-Terror Institute, a non-governmental organization devoted to the study of terrorism; the Institute held a number of international conferences focused on the discussion of international terrorism. From 1980 to 1982, he was director of marketing for Rim Industries in Jerusalem. During this period Netanyahu made his first connections with several Israeli politicians, including Minister Moshe Arens . Arens appointed him as his Deputy Chief of Mission at

612-523: A Pittsburgh SWAT unit allowed his speeches to continue downtown at the hall and the Duquesne Club as well as suburban Robert Morris University . On 12 September 2002, Netanyahu testified (under oath as a private citizen) before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding the nuclear threat posed by the Iraqi régime: "There is no question whatsoever that Saddam

714-399: A bloated public sector and excessive regulations were largely responsible for stifling economic growth. His plan involved a move toward more liberalized markets , although it was not without its critics. He instituted a program to end welfare dependency by requiring people to apply for jobs or training, reduced the size of the public sector, froze government spending for three years, and capped

816-581: A breach of the Sabbath. The government finally collapsed on 10 December 2000 when Barak resigned in the face of the outbreak of the Second Intifada and the Israeli Arab riots of October . Barak called new elections for the position of Prime Minister , which he lost to Ariel Sharon . Sharon formed the 29th government on 7 March 2001. He set up a national unity government , including Likud, Labor-Meimad, Shas,

918-581: A civil war. Netanyahu refused, and the incident quickly grew in political significance. With Israeli-Jordanian relations rapidly deteriorating, King Hussein threatened to void the historic 1994 peace between the two countries should Mashal die. U.S President Bill Clinton intervened and compelled Netanyahu to turn over the antidote. The head of Mossad, Danny Yatom , flew to Jordan, with Netanyahu's consent, bringing an antidote to treat Mashal. The doctors at King Hussein Medical Center , where Mashal lay in

1020-647: A convoluted coalition with Shas , Meretz , Yisrael BaAliyah , the Centre Party, the National Religious Party and United Torah Judaism . When Barak's government collapsed after the start of the Second Intifada and the October Israeli Arab riots in 2000, Barak called new elections for Prime Minister in the hope of winning an authoritative mandate. However, he was well-beaten by Ariel Sharon and subsequently retired from politics. After winning

1122-407: A device to Mashal's left ear that transmitted a fast-acting poison. Mashal's bodyguards were suspicious prior to the attack and were able to chase the agents down and capture them. Other agents were also found and captured. In an interview, he described the attack as "a loud noise in my ear ... like a boom, like an electric shock." Initially, he thought the agents had failed to hurt him but later in

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1224-499: A double-load while simultaneously taking courses at Harvard University , completing his bachelor's degree in architecture in two and a half years, despite taking a break to fight in the Yom Kippur War. Professor Leon B. Groisser at MIT recalled: "He did superbly. He was very bright. Organized. Strong. Powerful. He knew what he wanted to do and how to get it done." At that time he changed his name to Benjamin " Ben " Nitai (Nitai,

1326-458: A party convention, its first in 15 years, in December 2005. In early February 2006, Agudat Israel and Degel HaTorah agreed to run together as United Torah Judaism, despite the fact that the contentious "sixth seat" issue remained undecided. The two groups finally compromised by proposing dividing the sixth seat between two representatives on a rotating schedule (as was done in the last Knesset between

1428-469: A reference to both Mount Nitai and to the eponymous Jewish sage Nittai of Arbela , was a pen name often used by his father for articles). Years later, in an interview with the media, Netanyahu clarified that he decided to do so to make it easier for Americans to pronounce his name. This fact has been used by his political rivals to accuse him indirectly of a lack of Israeli national identity and loyalty. In 1976, Netanyahu's older brother Yonatan Netanyahu

1530-564: A response, Netanyahu authorized the assassination of Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Jordan. On 25 September 1997, Mossad agents acting under orders from Netanyahu and his security cabinet attempted to assassinate him. The agents entered Jordan on fake Canadian passports and disguised as tourists. Two of them waited at the entrance of the Hamas offices in Jordan's capital Amman, and, as Mashal walked into his office, one of them came up from behind and held

1632-525: A role in his defeat in the 1999 Israeli general election . After being defeated by Ehud Barak in the 1999 Israeli prime ministerial election , Netanyahu temporarily retired from politics. He subsequently served as a senior consultant with Israeli communications equipment manufacturer BATM Advanced Communications for two years. With the fall of the Barak government in late 2000, Netanyahu expressed his desire to return to politics. By law, Barak's resignation

1734-584: A street in Amman . The plot was exposed and two agents were arrested by the Jordanian police while three others hid in the Israeli embassy which was then surrounded by troops. An angry King Hussein demanded Israel to give out the antidote and threatened to annul the peace treaty. Netanyahu relented to the demands after pressure by US President Bill Clinton and ordered the release of 61 Jordanian and Palestinian prisoners including Sheikh Ahmad Yassin . The incident sent

1836-597: A surprise move, Sharon offered the Foreign Ministry to Silvan Shalom and offered Netanyahu the Finance Ministry . Some pundits speculated that Sharon made the move because he deemed Netanyahu a political threat given his demonstrated effectiveness as foreign minister, and that by placing him in the Finance Ministry during a time of economic uncertainty, he could diminish Netanyahu's popularity. Netanyahu accepted

1938-503: A team-leader in the unit. He was wounded in combat on multiple occasions. He was involved in many other missions, including the 1968 Israeli raid on Lebanon and the rescue of the hijacked Sabena Flight 571 in May 1972, in which he was shot in the shoulder. He was discharged from active service in 1972 but remained in the Sayeret Matkal reserves. Following his discharge, he left to study in

2040-471: Is non-Zionist . Unlike some other Haredim, the party is notable for its usage of technology and electronic communication. Before the establishment of Degel HaTorah and the formation of United Torah Judaism, the two factions were united under one united Agudat Yisrael party, but the late mentor and supreme guide of the non-Hasidic group, Rabbi Elazar Shach , broke away from the Hasidic wing when he concluded that

2142-540: Is predominantly Ashkenazi , he has said that a DNA test revealed him to have some Sephardic ancestry. He claims descent from the Vilna Gaon . Netanyahu was the second of three children. He was initially raised and educated in Jerusalem , where he attended Henrietta Szold Elementary School. A copy of his evaluation from his 6th grade teacher Ruth Rubenstein indicated that Netanyahu was courteous, polite, and helpful; that he

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2244-452: Is seeking and is working and is advancing towards the development of nuclear weapons – no question whatsoever", he said. "And there is no question that once he acquires it, history shifts immediately." In his testimony, Netanyahu also said, "If you take out Saddam, Saddam's regime, I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations on the region." After the 2003 Israeli legislative election , in what many observers regarded as

2346-473: The 1992 election , in which it won four Knesset seats. In the 1999 elections , UTJ won five Knesset seats. UTJ wants to maintain a status quo relationship in regard to religion-and-state issues. The party has no uniform opinion on the issue of increasing settlements in the West Bank. UTJ has always been a coalition of two individual parties, choosing to take advantage of Israeli election law in order to maximize

2448-509: The 1996 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 ( Yitzhak Rabin was born in Jerusalem, under the British Mandate of Palestine, prior to the 1948 founding of the Israeli state). Netanyahu's victory over the pre-election favorite Shimon Peres surprised many. The main catalyst in the downfall of

2550-653: The Arab National Party and one formed National Unity – National Progressive Alliance . Michael Kleiner left the National Union to establish Herut – The National Movement , whilst the National Union became allied to Yisrael Beiteinu. Ahmed Tibi left Balad to establish Ta'al . Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician, serving as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held

2652-612: The Belz and Vizhnitz communities for the fifth seat). This solution seemed to mollify the respective groups, and paved the way for the re-establishment of a joint list for the 2006 elections, although the Belz court was reportedly irked that once again, it was being asked to sacrifice part of its representation. UTJ MKs told reporters that any decision to join future government coalitions will be dependent on achieving two "central posts" to be split between Agudah and Degel. Similarly, in order to avoid

2754-557: 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 . He took part in numerous cross-border raids during the 1967–70 War of Attrition , including the March 1968 Battle of Karameh , when the IDF attacked Jordan to capture PLO leader Yasser Arafat but were repulsed with heavy casualties, rising to become

2856-561: The Israeli Labor Party left the coalition and vacated the position of foreign minister, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon appointed Netanyahu as foreign minister. Netanyahu challenged Sharon for the leadership of the Likud party in the 2002 Likud leadership election , but failed to oust him. On 9 September 2002, a scheduled speech by Netanyahu at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

2958-591: The Israel–Hamas war . Due to the failure to anticipate the attack, Netanyahu has been criticized for presiding over Israel's biggest intelligence failure in 50 years, and has faced protests calling for his removal. Netanyahu's government has been accused of genocide , culminating in the South Africa v. Israel case before the International Court of Justice in December 2023. In May 2024, Karim Khan ,

3060-493: The Knesset . The first such election, in 1996 had been an extremely tight contest between Likud 's Benjamin Netanyahu on the right, and Labor 's Shimon Peres on the left; the right had won by less than one percent (about 29,000 votes). Ehud Barak, promising peace talks and withdrawal from Lebanon by July 2000, won the election. In the Israeli–Palestinian peace process , although the Likud government had negotiated

3162-446: The March 2006 elections . A number of issues were worked out, such as Degel HaTorah's insistence on the joint list being equally divided between the two parties. (In the past, Agudat Israel has received slightly more votes than Degel HaTorah.) Degel HaTorah has re-organized itself. It has a fully equipped modern party office on Hamabit Street 10 in Jerusalem's Geula neighborhood. It conducted

1999 Israeli general election - Misplaced Pages Continue

3264-626: The Wye River Memorandum and it had passed the Knesset overwhelmingly in November 1998, subsequent negotiations with the Palestinians were going badly. The lack of progress had alienated support for the government on the left, as well as on its right. The left claimed negotiations were moving too slowly, while the more extreme right were unhappy with the contemplated territorial concessions included in

3366-457: The debate club , chess club , and soccer . He and his brother Yonatan grew dissatisfied with what they saw as the superficial way of life they encountered in the area, including the prevalent youth counterculture movement and the liberal sensibilities of the Reform synagogue, Temple Judea of Philadelphia , that the family attended. I have great respect for the unit. This is a unit that changes

3468-684: The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), announced his intention to apply for an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, along with members of his cabinet and Hamas leadership, for war crimes and crimes against humanity as part of the ICC investigation in Palestine . The ICC issued an arrest warrant on 21 November of the same year for Netanyahu along with former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas militant Mohammed Deif , whom Israel presumes dead after an airstrike . Netanyahu

3570-793: The 1996 Israeli election were marred by a series of Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. After the Shin Bet assassinated Hamas military leader Yahya Ayyash on 5 January 1996, Mohammed Deif , now commander of the Qassam Brigades , organized a mass-casualty bombing campaign inside Israel as retaliation, including the Dizengoff Center suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and the two Jaffa Road bus bombings in Jerusalem. These operations were, in their scale, scope and sophistication, different and larger than any attacks of

3672-480: The Ansariya ambush. Netanyahu called it "one of the worst tragedies that has ever occurred to us". These major Israeli failures against Hamas and Hezbollah under Netanyahu's first premiership and their results in the subsequent releases of imprisoned Palestinian and Lebanese leaders from Israeli jails are thought to have dealt a blow to Netanyahu's rhetoric of a "tough stance" towards enemies of Israel, and to have played

3774-606: The Centre Party, the National Religious Party, United Torah Judaism, Yisrael BaAliyah, and National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu. Sharon's government had 26 ministers, which later rose to 29, necessitating the addition of a small table to the end of the Ministers row in the Knesset . During the Knesset term, there were several splits, mergers, and defections. The One Israel alliance broke into its constituent parts, Labor - Meimad (25 seats) and Gesher (2 seats). Five members left

3876-523: The Centre Party, with three forming New Way and two establishing Lev , which immediately merged into Likud. Later, two of the three that set up New Way resigned from the Knesset and were replaced by Centre Party members, whilst the remaining New Way MK joined Labor-Meimad. Two MKs left Yisrael BaAliyah to establish the Democratic Choice , whilst three MKs left the United Arab List; two established

3978-615: The Golan Heights , and brokered the Abraham Accords , normalization agreements between Israel and the Arab world . Netanyahu has faced criticism over expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank , deemed illegal under international law . In 2019, Netanyahu was indicted on charges of breach of trust, bribery and fraud , and relinquished all ministerial posts, except prime minister. The 2018–2022 Israeli political crisis led to

4080-458: The Golan Heights, no discussion of the case of Jerusalem, no negotiations under any preconditions. In 1997, Netanyahu authorized a Mossad operation to assassinate Hamas leader Khaled Mashal in Jordan , just three years after the two countries had signed a peace treaty . The Mossad team, covering as five Canadian tourists, entered Jordan on 27 September 1997 and injected poison into Mashal's ears in

4182-626: The Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., while Arens was ambassador to the United States, a position he held from 1982 until 1984. During the 1982 Lebanon War , he was called up for reserve duty in Sayeret Matkal and requested to be released from service, preferring to remain in the US and serve as a spokesperson for Israel in the wake of harsh international criticism of the war. He presented Israel's case to

1999 Israeli general election - Misplaced Pages Continue

4284-475: The Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Following the defeat of the Likud party in the 1992 Israeli legislative elections the Likud party held a party leadership election in 1993 , and Netanyahu was victorious, defeating Benny Begin , son of the late prime minister Menachem Begin , and veteran politician David Levy (Sharon initially sought Likud party leadership as well, but quickly withdrew when it

4386-580: The Israeli cabinet voted 17 to 5 to approve the initial phase of withdrawal from Gaza . Following the withdrawal of Sharon from the Likud, Netanyahu was one of several candidates who vied for the Likud leadership. His most recent attempt prior to this was in September 2005 when he had tried to hold early primaries for the position of the head of the Likud party, while the party held the office of prime minister – thus effectively pushing Ariel Sharon out of office. The party rejected this initiative. Netanyahu retook

4488-477: The Israeli economy started booming and unemployment fell significantly, Netanyahu was widely credited by commentators as having performed an 'economic miracle' by the end of his tenure. However, opponents in the Labor party (and even a few within his own Likud) viewed Netanyahu's policies as "Thatcherite" attacks on the venerated Israeli social safety net. Ultimately, unemployment declined while economic growth soared,

4590-403: The Israeli embassy. King Hussein would only release them if Israel released Ahmed Yassin and a large number of other Palestinian prisoners. King Hussein needed the demands to be "enough to enable the king to be able to publicly defend the release of the hit team." In a 2008 interview, Mashal said of the attempt on his life: "[It] made me more positive about life. I became more courageous in

4692-448: The Likud campaign slogan was, "Netanyahu – making a safe peace ". However, although Netanyahu won the election for prime minister, Peres's Israeli Labor Party received more seats in the Knesset elections . Netanyahu had to rely on a coalition with the ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and UTJ in order to form a government. A spate of suicide bombings reinforced the Likud position for security. Hamas claimed responsibility for most of

4794-523: The Likud policy. Initially, three other candidates planned to run; these included: Benny Begin of Herut – The National Movement , running to the right of Likud; Azmi Bishara of the Israeli Arab Balad party , running to the left of One Israel and the first from that minority to stand for prime minister, and; Yitzhak Mordechai of the Centre Party , running on positions between those of Likud on

4896-749: The Oslo Accords, Prime Minister Netanyahu continued their implementation, but his Premiership saw a marked slow-down in the peace process. In 1996, Netanyahu and Jerusalem 's mayor Ehud Olmert decided to open an exit in the Arab Quarter for the Western Wall Tunnel , which prior prime minister Shimon Peres had instructed to be put on hold for the sake of peace. This sparked three days of rioting by Palestinians, resulting in dozens of both Israelis and Palestinians being killed. Netanyahu first met Palestinian President Arafat on 4 September 1996. Prior to

4998-488: The Prime Ministerial elections, Ehud Barak formed the 28th government of Israel on 6 July 1999. His coalition included One Israel, Shas, Meretz, Yisrael BaAliyah, the Centre Party, the National Religious Party and United Torah Judaism, and initially had 16 ministers, though the number later rose to 24. Avraham Burg was appointed as Speaker of the Knesset . United Torah Judaism left the coalition in September 1999 after

5100-611: The United States but returned in October 1973 to serve in the Yom Kippur War . He took part in special forces raids along the Suez Canal against Egyptian forces before leading a commando attack deep inside Syrian territory, the details of which remain classified today. Netanyahu returned to the United States in late 1972 to study architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After briefly returning to Israel to fight in

5202-584: The Yom Kippur War, he returned to the United States and, under the name Ben Nitay , completed a bachelor's degree in architecture in February 1975 and earned a master's degree from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1976. Concurrently, he was studying towards a doctorate in political science, until his studies were broken off by the death of his brother in the Entebbe raid . At MIT, Netanyahu studied

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5304-627: The bombings. As prime minister, Netanyahu raised many questions about many central premises of the Oslo Accords . One of his main points was disagreement with the Oslo premise that the negotiations should proceed in stages, meaning that concessions should be made to Palestinians before any resolution was reached on major issues, such as the status of Jerusalem , and the amending of the Palestinian National Charter . Oslo supporters had claimed that

5406-609: The budget deficit at 1%. The taxation system was streamlined and taxes were cut, with the top individual tax rate reduced from 64% to 44% and the corporate tax rate from 36% to 18%. A host of state assets worth billions of dollars were privatized, including banks, oil refineries, the El Al national airline, and Zim Integrated Shipping Services . The retirement ages for both men and women were raised, and currency exchange laws were further liberalized. Commercial banks were forced to spin off their long-term savings. In addition, Netanyahu attacked monopolies and cartels to increase competition. As

5508-433: The company between 1976 and 1978. At the Boston Consulting Group, he was a colleague of Mitt Romney , with whom he formed a lasting friendship. Romney described Netanyahu at the time as "a strong personality with a distinct point of view", and said, "We can almost speak in shorthand   ... [w]e share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar." Netanyahu said that their "easy communication"

5610-412: The concurrent Knesset elections. Two parties, Manhigut Yehudit and Voice of the Environment, initially signed up to participate in the elections, but withdrew their candidacy before election day. Yisrael Beiteinu gained a seat after the vote-sharing process was completed. Although Barak won the Prime Ministerial election comfortably, his One Israel alliance won only 26 seats, meaning he had to form

5712-571: The country, open foreign bank accounts, hold foreign currency, and invest freely in other countries. Throughout his term, Netanyahu was opposed by the political left wing in Israel and lost support from the right because of his concessions to the Palestinians in Hebron and elsewhere, and due to his negotiations with Arafat generally. Netanyahu lost favor with the Israeli public after a long chain of scandals involving his marriage and corruption charges. In 1997, police recommended that Netanyahu be indicted on corruption charges for influence-peddling. He

5814-446: The day he developed a severe headache and began vomiting. He was rushed to a Jordanian hospital where his condition rapidly deteriorated. Immediately after the incident, Jordan's King Hussein demanded that Netanyahu turn over the antidote for the poison, threatening to sever diplomatic relations and to try the detained Mossad agents. King Hussein feared that the death of a Hamas leader would trigger riots in his kingdom, perhaps even

5916-463: The debt-to-GDP ratio dropped to one of the lowest in the world, and foreign investment reached record highs. Netanyahu threatened to resign from office in 2004 unless the Gaza pullout plan was put to a referendum. He later modified the ultimatum and voted for the program in the Knesset, indicating immediately thereafter that he would resign unless a referendum was held within 14 days. He submitted his resignation letter on 7 August 2005, shortly before

6018-457: The face of death. My faith became stronger that a man does not die until his time comes. That is, I will die when God decides, not when Mossad decides. It also made me more resolute in fulfilling my responsibilities." On the same day that Hamas bombed the Ben Yehuda street in Jerusalem, Hezbollah executed a well-planned ambush on the IDF's naval specia forces Shayetet 13 in Ansariya, South Lebanon, killing 12 Israeli commandos. On 25 May 1998,

6120-446: The father of future U.S. President Donald Trump . Prior to the 1988 Israeli legislative election , Netanyahu returned to Israel and joined the Likud party. In the Likud's internal elections, Netanyahu was placed fifth on the party list. Later on he was elected as a Knesset member of the 12th Knesset, and was appointed as a deputy of the foreign minister Moshe Arens , and later on David Levy . Netanyahu and Levy did not cooperate and

6222-427: The five MKs to have a three-month "waiting period" before accepting jobs in the government. Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter , the Gerrer rebbe, however, thought that all Agudat members should accept positions immediately. The Agudat MKs argued that they should be entitled to follow their own rabbis' ruling, while their Degel HaTorah counterparts accused them of disrespecting Rabbi Eliashiv. The Agudat faction proceeded to follow

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6324-410: The latter was a wave of suicide bombings shortly before the elections; on 3 and 4 March 1996 , Palestinians carried out two suicide bombings , killing 32 Israelis, with Peres seemingly unable to stop the attacks. During the campaign, Netanyahu stressed that progress in the peace process would be based on the Palestinian National Authority fulfilling its obligations – mainly fighting terrorism – and

6426-399: The leadership on 20 December 2005, with 47% of the primary vote, to 32% for Silvan Shalom and 15% for Moshe Feiglin . In the March 2006 Knesset elections , Likud took the third place behind Kadima and Labor and Netanyahu served as Leader of the Opposition. On 14 August 2007, Netanyahu was reelected as chairman of the Likud and its candidate for the post of prime minister with 73% of

6528-442: The media during the war and established a highly efficient public relations system in the Israeli embassy. Between 1984 and 1988, Netanyahu served as the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations . Netanyahu was influenced by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson , with whom he formed a relationship during the 1980s. He referred to Schneerson as "the most influential man of our time". At this time Netanyahu became friends with Fred Trump ,

6630-492: The meeting, the two leaders spoke by telephone. The meetings would continue through Autumn 1996. On their first meeting, Netanyahu said: "I would like to emphasize that we have to take into account the needs and the requirements of both sides on the basis of reciprocity and the assurance of the security and well-being of both Israelis and Palestinian alike." Arafat said: "We are determined to work with Mr. Netanyahu and with his government." The talks culminated on 14 January 1997, in

6732-404: The memorandum itself. The Likud – Gesher – Tzomet alliance had fallen apart, with more members leaving Likud to set up Herut – The National Movement and the Centre Party . Netanyahu's government finally gave up the ghost due to difficulties in passing the state budget and in January 1999 passed a bill calling for early elections. Ehud Barak , the leader of the main opposition Labor Party,

6834-425: The multi-stage approach would build goodwill among Palestinians and would propel them to seek reconciliation when these major issues were raised in later stages. Netanyahu said that these concessions only gave encouragement to extremist elements, without receiving any tangible gestures in return. He called for tangible gestures of Palestinian goodwill in return for Israeli concessions. Despite his stated differences with

6936-442: The murder of Ayyash. According to Mike Kelly , Hamas operative Hassan Salameh, who planned three of the attacks, was trained in Iran . In 2000, families of American victims of the attacks filed a lawsuit against Tlass, Kanaan and Iranian Minister of Intelligence Ali Fallahian . According to Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman , Deif's campaign of massive retaliation and the failure of Israeli intelligence services to prevent it,

7038-410: The nascent Israeli-Jordanian relations plummeting. During his term, Netanyahu also began a process of economic liberalization, taking steps towards a free-market economy. Under his watch, the government began selling its shares in banks and major state-run companies. Netanyahu also greatly eased Israel's strict foreign exchange controls , enabling Israelis to take an unrestricted amount of money out of

7140-468: The new Shas party, which they did in record numbers. Later, Shas broke with Rabbi Shach, as it adopted its own independent political stance under Rabbi Ovadia Yosef . Yet, Shas generally goes in the same direction, as it has similar values, needs and interests within the state. Haaretz cited that some women activists have protested the fact that UTJ, along with other Haredi parties, refuses to run female candidates for office. UTJ responded that they have

7242-439: The new appointment. Sharon and Netanyahu came to an agreement that Netanyahu would have complete freedom as finance minister and have Sharon back all of his reforms, in exchange for Netanyahu's silence over Sharon's management of Israel's military and foreign affairs. As finance minister, Netanyahu undertook an economic plan in order to restore Israel's economy from its low point during the Second Intifada . Netanyahu claimed that

7344-577: The office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. He is chair of the Likud party. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history, having served a total of over 17 years. Born to secular Jewish parents, Netanyahu was raised in West Jerusalem and the United States. He returned to Israel in 1967 to join the Israel Defense Forces and served in the Sayeret Matkal special forces as

7446-505: The opposition . In the 1996 general election , Netanyahu became the first Israeli prime minister elected directly by popular vote, and its youngest. Netanyahu was defeated in the 1999 election and retired from politics, entering the private sector. He returned and served as minister of foreign affairs and finance , initiating economic reforms , before resigning over the Gaza disengagement plan . Netanyahu returned to lead Likud in 2005 and

7548-487: The party was not representing all Ashkenazi Haredim. At that point, he split from them, and created the Degel HaTorah party for the " Lithuanian " Haredi Jews (also known as " Mitnagdim " by some). He chose the name Degel HaTorah, meaning "Flag of The Torah", to be a contrast to the well-known flag of Israel and its connection with the secular-dominated State of Israel (an "anti-Torah" entity, in his opinion). Rabbi Shach

7650-549: The past, and it has been alleged that both Syria and Iran had helped in their planning and financing. According to a report, Syrian Minister of Defense Mustafa Tlass instructed Ghazi Kanaan , the commander of Syrian forces in Lebanon , to establish links between Hezbollah and Hamas fighters, who were then trained both in Lebanon and in Iran and participated in the retaliatory operations for

7752-628: The peace process, which was the short-term goal of the attacks anyway. In 1997 Ali Fallahian, the iranian Intelligence Minister, authorized a new Hamas bombing campaign to further disrupt the peace process, and Hamas leader Khaled Meshal , then living in Amman , Jordan, picked Mahmoud Abu Hanoud, an expert bomb-maker in the West Bank , to construct the bombs, and sent five suicide bombers to detonate them simultaneously in Jerusalem on 30 July 1997 ( Mahane Yehuda market bombings ) and 4 September 1997 ( Ben Yehuda street bombings) ), killing 21 Israelis. As

7854-478: The peace process," in the words of the deputy head of the Shin Bet, Yisrael Hasson . Curiously enough, though, after the election, the attacks stopped for almost a year. Some said this was because of Arafat 's campaign against Hamas, and the arrest of many members of its military wing. Others believed that Hamas no longer had any reason to carry out suicide attacks, because Netanyahu had already almost completely stopped

7956-465: The problems that led to the 2004 split, disagreements about joining a coalition will not be determined by a majority vote of MKs, but rather taken to the party's rabbinic leaders. Various media interviews with the party's Knesset members confirmed that it would strongly consider joining a coalition with the Ehud Olmert -led Kadima party, should it be offered to them after the elections. In March 2006,

8058-449: The rabbinical leaders of UTJ, including Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv , issued public declarations urging the Haredi public to vote for the party's list. In the election, the party increased its mandate by one, to six seats. Defunct Defunct United Torah Judaism ( Yahadut HaTorah – UTJ) is a coalition of two Haredi parties, Agudat Israel and Degel HaTorah, which submitted a joint list in

8160-480: The reality of our lives even though its actions are a secret. Although it is a small unit, it influences all branches of the military ... My service in the unit strengthened my understanding of the risks involved behind approving operations and the risks that fighters are taking on. It is tangible and not theoretical for me. Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sayeret Matkal ( Maariv 2007) After graduating from high school in 1967, Netanyahu returned to Israel to enlist in

8262-504: The rebbe of Ger's instructions, with MK Yaakov Litzman accepting the position as chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee. This infuriated Degel HaTorah and its leaders, and in response, they left the party, dissolving a twelve-year-old partnership. In December 2005, there was a meeting between representatives of the two factions, presumably to smooth over the ill-feelings of the previous year and to attempt to re-group before

8364-411: The remains of Itamar Ilyah as well as body parts of at least two other soldiers who died in the Ansariya ambush were exchanged for 65 Lebanese prisoners and the bodies of 40 Hizbullah fighters and Lebanese soldiers captured by Israel. Among those returned to Lebanon, were the remains of Hadi Nasrallah, the son of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah , who was killed in a clash with IDF a week after

8466-431: The right and One Israel on the left. Over the course of the campaign however, Begin, Bishara, and Mordechai all dropped out of the race for prime minister, after it became clear that they could not win, and that their continued presence would cost votes for the major candidates, Barak and Netanyahu, at their respective ends of the political spectrum. The parties these other candidates represented however, continued to run in

8568-582: The right to follow the Jewish laws of modesty, which separates roles of men and women, and maintain that they do not deny women the right to vote for any other Knesset parties of their choice. They add that Haredi women will not vote for them if they elect women. In January 2004, the party split back into its two factions following a disagreement over how to join Ariel Sharon 's coalition, which had been negotiated by Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv . Rabbi Eliashiv wanted

8670-672: The rivalry between the two only intensified afterwards. During the Gulf War in early 1991, the English-fluent Netanyahu emerged as the principal spokesman for Israel in media interviews on CNN and other news outlets. During the Madrid Conference of 1991 Netanyahu was a member of the Israeli delegation headed by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir . After the Madrid Conference Netanyahu was appointed as Deputy Minister in

8772-642: The 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 . Eventually, the lack of progress of the peace process led to new negotiations which produced the Wye River Memorandum in 1998 which detailed

8874-501: The steps to be taken by the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority to implement the earlier Interim Agreement of 1995. It was signed by Netanyahu and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat , and on 17 November 1998, Israel's 120 member parliament, the Knesset , approved the Wye River Memorandum by a vote of 75–19. In a nod to the 1967 Khartoum conference , Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized a policy of "three no(s)": no withdrawal from

8976-538: The vote, against far-right candidate Moshe Feiglin and World Likud chairman Danny Danon . He opposed the 2008 Israel–Hamas ceasefire , like others in the Knesset opposition. Specifically, Netanyahu said: "This is not a relaxation, it's an Israeli agreement to the rearming of Hamas ... What are we getting for this?" In the first half of 2008, doctors removed a small colon polyp that proved to be benign. United Torah Judaism Unlike similar religiously-oriented parties like Shas , Mafdal and Noam , UTJ

9078-471: Was "responsible and punctual"; and that he was friendly, disciplined, cheerful, brave, active, and obedient. Between 1956 and 1958, and again from 1963 to 1967, his family lived in the United States in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania , a suburb of Philadelphia, while father Benzion Netanyahu taught at Dropsie College . Benjamin attended and graduated from Cheltenham High School and was active in

9180-416: Was Netanyahu's main challenger in this election. Before the elections, Ehud Barak 's Labor Party formed an alliance with Gesher and Meimad called One Israel in the hope that a united front on the centre-left would give them enough seats to form a more stable coalition. The rising death toll and lack of military victory in Israel's long-running occupation in south Lebanon had soured voter support for

9282-545: Was a result of "B.C.G.'s intellectually rigorous boot camp". In 1978, Netanyahu appeared on Boston local television, under the name "Ben Nitai", where he argued: "The real core of the conflict is the unfortunate Arab refusal to accept the State of Israel   ... For 20 years the Arabs had both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip , and if self-determination, as they now say, is the core of the conflict, they could have easily established

9384-483: Was accused of appointing an attorney general who would reduce the charges but prosecutors ruled that there was insufficient evidence to go to trial. In 1999, Netanyahu faced another scandal when the Israel Police recommended that he be tried for corruption for $ 100,000 in free services from a government contractor; Israel's attorney general did not prosecute, citing difficulties with evidence. The months leading up to

9486-761: Was born in 1949 in Tel Aviv . His mother, Tzila Segal (1912–2000), was born in Petah Tikva in the Ottoman Empire's Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem , and his father, Warsaw -born Benzion Netanyahu ( né Mileikowsky; 1910–2012), was a historian specializing in the Jewish Golden age of Spain . His paternal grandfather, Nathan Mileikowsky , was a rabbi and Zionist writer. When Netanyahu's father immigrated to Mandatory Palestine , he hebraized his surname from "Mileikowsky" to "Netanyahu", meaning "God has given." While his family

9588-508: Was canceled after hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters overwhelmed security and smashed through a glass window. Netanyahu was not present at the protest, having remained at his hotel throughout the duration. He later accused the activists of supporting terrorism and "mad zealotry". Weeks later on 1 October 2002 around 200 protesters met Netanyahu outside his Heinz Hall appearance in Pittsburgh although Pittsburgh Police , Israeli security and

9690-403: Was evident that he was attracting minimal support). Shamir retired from politics shortly after the Likud's defeat in the 1992 elections. Following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin at the end of a rally in support of the Oslo Accords , Rabin 's temporary successor Shimon Peres decided to call early elections in order to give the government a mandate to advance the peace process. Netanyahu

9792-596: Was killed. Yonatan was serving as the commander of Benjamin's former unit, the Sayeret Matkal, and died during the counter-terrorism hostage-rescue mission Operation Thunderbolt in which his unit rescued more than 100 mostly Israeli hostages hijacked by terrorists and flown to the Entebbe Airport in Uganda. Netanyahu was headhunted to be an economic consultant for the Boston Consulting Group in Boston, Massachusetts, working at

9894-585: Was known as an outspoken critic of the secular Israeli way of life. The UTJ party also had considerable influence on the Israeli Sephardi Jews ' Shas party. In fact, the Shas party was founded by Rabbi Shach at an earlier juncture when he was previously also frustrated with the policies of the Hasidic rebbes; so, he turned to the Sephardic Jews, and urged his own Ashkenazi followers at that time, to vote for

9996-513: Was leader of the opposition between 2006 and 2009. After the 2009 legislative election , Netanyahu formed a coalition with other right-wing parties and became prime minister again. He led Likud to victory in the 2013 and 2015 elections . Netanyahu made his closeness to Donald Trump , a friend since the 1980s, central to his appeal from 2016. During Trump's first presidency , the US recognized Jerusalem as capital of Israel , Israeli sovereignty over

10098-452: Was one of the factors that led to the defeat of Prime Minister Shimon Peres and the Israeli Labor Party in the 1996 Israeli general election and the victory of the right-wing Likud party of Netanyahu, who opposed the Oslo peace process : The wave of terror in February and March 1996 was a case study in how suicide attacks could alter the course of history. At the beginning of February, Peres

10200-426: Was supposed to lead to elections for the prime minister position only. Netanyahu insisted that general elections should be held, claiming that otherwise it would be impossible to have a stable government. Netanyahu decided eventually not to run for the prime minister position, a move which facilitated the surprising rise to power of Ariel Sharon , who at the time was considered less popular than Netanyahu. In 2002, after

10302-474: Was the Likud's candidate for prime minister in the 1996 Israeli legislative election which took place on 29 May 1996 and were the first Israeli elections in which Israelis elected their prime minister directly. Netanyahu hired American Republican political operative Arthur Finkelstein to run his campaign, and although the American style of sound bites and sharp attacks elicited harsh criticism, Netanyahu won

10404-418: Was up twenty points in the polls over his opposition, the conservative hawk Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu. By the middle of March, Netanyahu had closed the gap significantly, and Peres led by only five percentage points. On May 29, Netanyahu won by 1 percent of the vote. This was all due to the terror attacks, which Peres simply couldn't stop. Yahya Ayyash's disciples had ensured the right wing's victory and "derailed

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