Binyamin Netanyahu

Binyamin Netanyahu has been the Prime Minister of Israel since 2009. The son of Zionist activist Benzion Netanyahu, his brother Yonatan was killed during Operation Entebbe by Palestinian activists. A member of the conservative Likud Party, he also served as Prime Minister from 1996 to 1999, after which he left politics amid a corruption scandal, but soon returned on Ariel Sharon's cabinet. When Sharon formed the Kadima party in 2005, Netanyahu was elected to lead Likud.



While Netanyahu does not strictly oppose a free Palestinian state, his terms to start talks are such that few Palestinians wish to negotiate. However, many of his constituents care less for peace than for security, and fear for their safety were a group not recognizing Israel ceded territory. President Obama has suggested amending the 1967 borders as a starting point for peace talks, but Netanyahu has proven reluctant to sign on.

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