Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu was born on 21 October 1949 in Tel Aviv, barely a year after Israel declared its independence. His family carried the deep imprint of Zionist thought and activism. His father, Benzion Netanyahu (originally Benzion Mileikowsky), was a historian and fierce Zionist ideologue who spent much of his life promoting the idea of a Jewish state rooted in biblical and historical claims. His mother, Tzila Segal, was born in Petah Tikva, one of the early Jewish settlements in Palestine.
The Mileikowsky family had migrated from Poland, and like many immigrant Jewish families of the time, they Hebraized their surname to “Netanyahu” to emphasize their new identity rooted in Zionist nationalism. Netanyahu spent part of his adolescence in the United States when his father took academic positions there. He studied in Philadelphia, developed fluency in English, and absorbed elements of Western education and culture.
His family life was shaped by tragedy as well as ambition. His older brother, Yonatan Netanyahu, became a national hero after being killed while leading the Israeli commando raid on Entebbe Airport in Uganda in 1976. Yonatan’s death became a defining event in Benjamin’s life, cementing both his nationalist zeal and his political destiny.
Education, Military Service, and Early Career
Netanyahu served in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), where he took part in high-risk operations. After military service, he pursued higher education in the United States, studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and later at Harvard University. He earned a degree in architecture and a master’s in business administration.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, he worked as a consultant in Boston but returned to Israel after his brother’s death. His fluency in English and Western exposure made him a natural candidate for diplomacy. In the mid-1980s, he served as Israel’s Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington and later as Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1984–1988). In these roles, Netanyahu became well-known in American political circles, building strong ties with U.S. politicians and Jewish lobbying groups. His polished English, forceful rhetoric, and relentless advocacy for Israel’s security agenda brought him into the limelight.
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Political Rise and Prime Minister ship
Netanyahu entered Israeli politics as a member of the Likud Party, the right-wing political force that emphasized security, settlements, and a hard line against Palestinian statehood. In the early 1990s, he became the party’s leader.
His first term as Prime Minister of Israel began in 1996, making him the youngest person to ever hold the office. Since then, Netanyahu has been a dominant force in Israeli politics, serving multiple non-consecutive terms: 1996–1999, 2009–2021, and again from 2022 onward. This makes him the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israeli history.
Throughout his career, Netanyahu has presented himself as Israel’s ultimate defender. He has consistently framed his leadership around an uncompromising security doctrine, linking the survival of the Jewish state to his personal mission. His political survival owes much to his ability to mobilize fear, rally nationalist sentiment, and exploit regional conflicts.
Ideology and Zionist Worldview
Netanyahu’s ideology is firmly rooted in Zionism, but his interpretation leans toward the extreme nationalist wing. Several pillars define his worldview:
Greater Israel Vision
Netanyahu has increasingly invoked the idea of a “Greater Israel”, which extends Israeli control far beyond the 1967 borders. He recently declared that he “absolutely” embraces this vision and considers it a “historic and spiritual mission.” Such statements echo his father’s ideological conviction that Jewish sovereignty extends over all biblical lands.
Rejection of a Fully Sovereign Palestinian State
While he occasionally speaks of “autonomy” for Palestinians, Netanyahu has repeatedly undermined or blocked genuine steps toward Palestinian statehood. He openly signed settlement expansion plans in the West Bank and declared there will “never be a Palestinian state.”
Security Obsession and Militarization
His approach treats Israel as under permanent existential threat—from Palestinians, Iran, Hezbollah, or Arab neighbors. This obsession with security justifies endless militarization, occupation, and aggressive operations across the region.
Religious and Historical Justifications
Netanyahu often couches political expansion in biblical language, portraying it not merely as policy but as a divine or historic mandate. This fusion of nationalism with religious rhetoric intensifies his appeal to settlers and far-right constituencies.
Statements on Expansion and Palestine
Netanyahu’s rhetoric leaves little room for ambiguity:
- In August 2025, he stated that he “absolutely” supports the idea of a Greater Israel, calling it “very much a part of my mission.”
- In September 2025, he signed a settlement expansion plan in Ma’ale Adumim and vowed that there would never be a Palestinian state.
He has repeatedly dismissed international efforts at mediation, declaring that Israel will “retain full security control over Gaza indefinitely.”
Such statements have provoked outrage from Arab and Muslim countries, the Arab League, and human rights organizations, who view them as a direct assault on Palestinian sovereignty and a violation of international law.
Aggression Across the Region
Netanyahu’s policies have not been limited to Palestine. Under his leadership, Israel has engaged in:
- West Bank: Massive settlement expansion, demolition of Palestinian homes, displacement of families, and systematic denial of Palestinian rights.
- Gaza: Multiple wars, including the 2023–2024 conflict, which resulted in widespread destruction, famine conditions, and civilian deaths. Netanyahu insisted on maintaining indefinite military control.
- Lebanon and Syria: Frequent airstrikes targeting Hezbollah and alleged Iranian positions.
- Iran: Hostile rhetoric, including threats of military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.
- Yemen: Alleged covert operations against groups perceived to be Iranian allies.
- Qatar: Recently, his government was accused of targeting diplomatic channels during peace efforts, further undermining regional diplomacy.
In each case, Netanyahu frames aggression as “defense,” but the scale of destruction and civilian toll tells another story.
Legal Trouble: ICC and ICJ
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. The charges include:
- War crimes: Using starvation as a weapon, deliberately targeting civilians, and disproportionate attacks.
- Crimes against humanity: Persecution, murder, and other inhumane acts during the Gaza conflict.
While Israel and its allies reject the ICC’s jurisdiction, the warrants carry symbolic weight, marking the first time a sitting Israeli Prime Minister has been formally accused of such grave crimes.
Separately, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has heard cases accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, with Netanyahu’s government at the center of allegations. Though not yet convicted, these proceedings further tarnish his international image.
Projecting His True Face
For many around the world, Netanyahu has become the embodiment of extremism and militarism. His relentless pursuit of settlement expansion, open rejection of Palestinian statehood, and aggressive posture toward neighboring countries project the image of a leader unwilling to coexist peacefully.
He has exploited fear and division, using nationalist rhetoric to sustain his political career while Palestinians continue to live under occupation, siege, and displacement. His embrace of the “Greater Israel” ideology and dismissal of peace initiatives make him one of the most polarizing leaders of our time.
Conclusion
Benjamin Netanyahu’s rise from the son of a historian to Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister is a story of ambition, ideology, and calculated politics. His career has been defined not by compromise or peace, but by expansion, aggression, and militarized Zionism.
Today, he stands accused before international courts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He is condemned across the Arab and Muslim world for his statements and actions that reject peace and fuel conflict. While his supporters hail him as Israel’s protector, critics across the globe see him as an extremist and a war criminal whose policies have destabilized the Middle East and perpetuated endless suffering for Palestinians.
He is following the foot print of Hitler, so his fate may not be different then from Hitler’s. History may ultimately judge him not as a statesman, but as the face of militant Zionism and perpetual war.
