Benyamin Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu
Netanyahu in 2012
9th and 13th Prime Minister of Israel
Incumbent
Assumed office 31 March 2009
President	Shimon Peres Reuven Rivlin
Preceded by	Ehud Olmert
In office 18 June 1996 – 6 July 1999
President	Ezer Weizman
Preceded by	Shimon Peres
Succeeded by	Ehud Barak
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 May 2015
Preceded by	Avigdor Lieberman
In office 18 December 2012 – 11 November 2013
Preceded by	Avigdor Lieberman
Succeeded by	Avigdor Lieberman
In office 6 November 2002 – 28 February 2003
Prime Minister	Ariel Sharon
Preceded by	Shimon Peres
Succeeded by	Silvan Shalom
Leader of the Opposition
In office 28 March 2006 – 31 March 2009
Prime Minister	Ehud Olmert
Preceded by	Amir Peretz
Succeeded by	Tzipi Livni
Minister of Finance
In office 28 February 2003 – 9 August 2005
Prime Minister	Ariel Sharon
Preceded by	Silvan Shalom
Succeeded by	Ehud Olmert
Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations
In office 1984–1988
President	Chaim Herzog
Prime Minister	Yitzhak Shamir Shimon Peres
Preceded by	Yehuda Zvi Blum
Succeeded by	Yohanan Bein
Personal details
Born	(1949-10-21) 21 October 1949 (age 67) Tel Aviv, Israel
Nationality	Israeli
Political party	Likud
Other political affiliations	Likud Beiteinu (2012–14)
Spouse(s)	Miriam Weizmann (1972–1978) Fleur Cates (1981–1984) Sara Ben-Artzi (1991–)
Children	3
Parents	Benzion Netanyahu Tzila Segal
Alma mater	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (SB, SM) Harvard University
Profession	Writer Economic consultant Marketing executive Politician
Signature
Website	netanyahu.org.il/en/
Military service
Allegiance	Israel
Service/branch	Israeli Defense Forces
Years of service	1967–1973
Rank	Seren (Captain)
Unit	Sayeret Matkal
Battles/wars	War of Attrition Yom Kippur War

Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (Hebrew:  בִּנְיָמִין "בִּיבִּי" נְתַנְיָהוּ‎ ; born 21 October 1949) is the current Prime Minister of Israel. Netanyahu also currently serves as a member of the Knesset and Chairman of the Likud party.

Born in Tel Aviv to secular Jewish parents, Netanyahu is the first Israeli prime minister born in Israel after the establishment of the state.

Netanyahu joined the Israel Defense Forces shortly after the Six-Day War in 1967, and became a team leader in the Sayeret Matkal special forces unit. Netanyahu took part in many missions, including Operation Inferno (1968), Operation Gift (1968) and Operation Isotope (1972), during which he was shot in the shoulder. Netanyahu fought on the front lines in the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War in 1973, taking part in special forces raids along the Suez Canal, and then leading a commando assault deep into Syrian territory. Netanyahu achieved the rank of captain before being discharged.