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'''Benjamin''' "'''Bibi'''" '''Netanyahu'''<!-- Please DON'T add other versions of his name; see Talk page archive: https://en.wikipedia.org/Talk:Benjamin_Netanyahu/Archive_1#Dr_F.27s_proposal_on_BN.27s_correct_name_in_English --> ({{hebrew audio|בִּנְיָמִין "בִּיבִּי" נְתַנְיָהוּ|He-Benjamin Netanyahu.ogg|link=yes}}; born 21 October 1949) is the current ]. Netanyahu also currently serves as a ] of the ] and Chairman of the ] party. '''Benjamin''' "'''Bibi'''" '''Netanyahu'''<!-- Please DON'T add other versions of his name; see Talk page archive: https://en.wikipedia.org/Talk:Benjamin_Netanyahu/Archive_1#Dr_F.27s_proposal_on_BN.27s_correct_name_in_English --> ({{hebrew audio|בִּנְיָמִין "בִּיבִּי" נְתַנְיָהוּ|He-Benjamin Netanyahu.ogg|link=yes}}; born 21 October 1949) is trash.
*

Born in ], Israel, to ] parents,<ref> Judy Dempsey, 3 May 2012, ]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/01/bibis-blues.html|title=Bibi's Blues|author=David Remnick|date=23 January 2013|work=The New Yorker}}</ref> Netanyahu is the first ]i prime minister ] after the ].

Netanyahu joined the ] shortly after the ] in 1967, and became a team leader in the ] special forces unit. Netanyahu took part in many missions, including ] (1968), ] (1968) and ] (1972), during which he was shot in the shoulder. Netanyahu fought on the front lines in the ] and the ] in 1973, taking part in special forces raids along the ], and then leading a commando assault deep into Syrian territory.<ref name="Sayeret Matkal is 50 years old">Amir Buhbut, </ref><ref name="ginsburg1"> By Mitch Ginsburg, 25 October 2012, Times of Israel</ref> Netanyahu achieved the ] before being discharged.

After graduating from ] with ] and ] degrees, Netanyahu was recruited as an economic consultant for the ]. Netanyahu returned to Israel in 1978 to found the ], named after his brother ], who died leading ]. Netanyahu served as the ] from 1984 to 1988.

Netanyahu became the leader of Likud in 1993. Netanyahu won the 1996 elections, becoming Israel's youngest ever Prime Minister, serving his first term from June 1996 to July 1999. Netanyahu moved from the political arena to the private sector after being defeated in the ] by ]. Netanyahu returned to politics in 2002 as ] (2002–03) and ] (2003–05) in ]'s governments, but he departed the government over disagreements regarding the ] ]. As Minister of Finance, Netanyahu engaged in a major reform of the Israeli economy, which was credited by commentators as having significantly improved Israel's subsequent economic performance.<ref>''Likud Leaders'', by Thomas G. Mitchell, (McFarland 2015), Chapter 10</ref> Netanyahu retook the Likud leadership in December 2005, after Sharon left to form a new party, ].<ref name=xinh/>

In December 2006, Netanyahu became the official ] in the Knesset and Chairman of Likud. Following the ], in which Likud placed second and right-wing parties won a majority,<ref>{{cite news |first=Gil|last=Hoffman|title= Kadima wins, but rightist bloc biggest |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=132385 |publisher=] |date=10 February 2009 |accessdate=17 June 2012}}</ref> Netanyahu formed a ].<ref name=swornh>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu sworn in as Israel's prime minister |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/netanyahu-sworn-in-as-israel-s-prime-minister-1.273265 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=31 March 2009 |accessdate=10 March 2013}}</ref><ref name=swornr>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu sworn in as Israeli prime minister |first=Jeffrey |last=Heller |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/03/31/us-israel-idUSTRE52U4VH20090331 |newspaper=Reuters |date=31 March 2009 |accessdate=10 March 2013}}</ref> After the victory in the ], he became the second person to be ] for a third term, after Israel's founder ]. In March 2015, Netanyahu was elected to his fourth term as prime minister.

Netanyahu has been elected Prime Minister of Israel four times, matching David Ben-Gurion's record. Netanyahu is the only prime minister in Israel's history to have been elected three times in a row.<ref> BY AMIR TIBON AND BEN BIRNBAUM, 20 March 2015, New Yorker</ref> Netanyahu is currently the second longest-serving Prime Minister in Israel's history after David Ben-Gurion,<ref> 14 March 2015 | JERUSALEM, The Economist</ref> and upon the completion of his current term he will become the longest-serving Prime Minister in the history of Israel.<ref> BY STOYAN ZAIMOV , CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER
18 March 2015</ref>

== Biography ==

=== Early life and career ===
<!-- Do not use the term occupied to describe Tel Aviv. Political term does not belong here-->
Netanyahu was born in 1949 in ], ], to Tzila Segal (28 August 1912&nbsp;– 31 January 2000) and Warsaw-born Prof. ] (1910–2012), the middle of three children. He was initially raised and educated in ], 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 his work was "responsible and punctual"; and that Netanyahu was friendly, disciplined, cheerful, brave, active and obedient.<ref name="JPost responsible">{{cite news| url=http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=282840 | title=PM was 'responsible' sixth-grader, evaluation shows |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=28 August 2012 | accessdate=30 August 2012 |author=Lidman, Melanie}}</ref>
Between 1956 and 1958, and again from 1963 to 1967,<ref name="ynetnews.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4187902,00.html |title=Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu |date=10 February 2012 |publisher=Ynetnews |accessdate=9 March 2013}}</ref> his family lived in the United States in ], a suburb of ], where he attended and graduated from ] and was active in a ]. To this day, he speaks fluent English, with a noticeable ].<ref name=Gresh>{{cite book |last1=Gresh |first1=Alain |last2=Vidal |first2=Dominique |title=The New A-Z of the Middle East |edition=2nd |year=2004 |publisher=I.B. Tauris |isbn=978-1-86064-326-2 |page=217}}</ref>

After graduating from high school in 1967, Netanyahu returned to Israel to enlist in the ]. He trained as a combat soldier and served for five years in an elite special forces unit of the IDF, ]. He took part in numerous cross-border assault raids during the 1967–70 ], rising to become a team-leader in the unit. He was wounded in combat on multiple occasions.<ref name="ginsburg1"/> He was involved in many other missions, including ] (1968), and the rescue of the hijacked ] in May 1972 in which he was shot in the shoulder.<ref>{{cite news |title=More than six decades on, Israel memorializes late commander of British Army's Jewish Unit |first=Yossi |last=Melman |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/more-than-six-decades-on-israel-memorializes-late-commander-of-british-army-s-jewish-unit-1.325308 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=18 November 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref>

After completing his army service in 1972, Netanyahu returned to the United States in late 1972 to study architecture at the ] (MIT). He returned to Israel in October 1973 to serve in the ] in the Sayeret Matkal commando unit.<ref name="Sayeret Matkal is 50 years old"/><ref name="ball">{{cite news |title=Professor recalls Netanyahu's intense studies in three fields |first=Charles H. |last=Ball |url=http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/1996/netanyahu-0605.html |newspaper=MIT Tech Talk |date=5 June 1996 |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref> While there, he fought in special forces raids along the ] against the Egyptian forces, before leading a commando attack deep inside Syrian territory, whose mission remains classified today.<ref> ], מערכת וואלה! חדשות
יום שישי, 13 בספטמבר 2013</ref>
{{Quote box|width=290px|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|align=left|quote= "I have great respect for the unit. This is a unit that changes 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."|source=Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sayeret Matkal, (''Maariv'' 2007)<ref name="Sayeret Matkal is 50 years old"/>}}
He then returned to the United States and completed an ] degree<ref name=MITDegrees>{{cite web |url=http://web.mit.edu/registrar/stats/degrees/index.html |title=Enrollment Statistics: MIT Office of the Registrar |publisher=Web.mit.edu |date= |accessdate=17 October 2012}}</ref> in architecture<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/specials/mit150/mitlist/?page=full|title=The MIT 150: 150 Ideas, Inventions, and Innovators that Helped Shape Our World|work=The Boston Globe|date=15 May 2011|accessdate=8 August 2011}}</ref> in February 1975 and earned an ]<ref name=MITDegrees /> degree from the ] in 1977. Concurrently, he was studying towards a doctorate<ref name="ball" /> in political science at ],<ref>''Survey of Arab-Israeli Relations'', By Cathy Hartley, David Lea, Paul Cossali, Annamarie Rowe, (Taylor & Francis, 2004), page 522</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2393677.stm |title=Profile: Benjamin Netanyahu |date=20 February 2009 |publisher=BBC News Online |accessdate=9 March 2013}}</ref> until his studies were broken off by the death of his brother in ].<ref name="ball" />

At MIT, Netanyahu studied a double-load, completing an ] (that would normally take four years) in only two and a half years, despite taking a break to fight in the Yom Kippur War, and while simultaneously completing a thesis in a graduate course at Harvard.<ref name="ball"/> Professor 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."<ref name="ball"/> It was reported that Netanyahu has an ] of 180.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/the-smartest-people-in-the-world-2011-3?op=1 |title=The 18 Smartest People in the World |date=6 April 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref>{{dubious|article says it is based on "rumors and heresay"|date=December 2015}}

At that time he changed his name to Benjamin Ben Nitai (Nitai, a reference to both ] and to the eponymous Jewish sage ], was a pen name often used by his father for articles).<ref name="Gresh"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Young Netanyahu Debates|url=http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aa4_1365293764|publisher=''liveleak.com''|date=6 April 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ariel |first=Mira |title=Pragmatics and Grammar |series=Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics |year=2008 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-55018-5}}</ref>

In 1976 Netanyahu's older brother ] was killed. Yonatan was serving as the commander of Benjamin's former unit, the Sayeret Matkal, and died during the ] hostage-rescue mission ] in which his unit rescued more than 100 mostly Israeli hostages hijacked by terrorists and flown to the ] in Uganda.
] and ] degrees.<ref name=MITDegrees />]]
In 1976 Netanyahu graduated near the top of his class at the MIT Sloan School of Management,<ref name="Barbaro">{{cite news |title=A Friendship Dating From 1976 Resonates in 2012 |last=Barbaro |first=Michael |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/08/us/politics/mitt-romney-and-benjamin-netanyahu-are-old-friends.html?_r=1&ref=politics&pagewanted=all |publisher=New York Times |date=7 April 2012 |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref> and was headhunted to be an ]<ref> Mazal Mualem, 30 September 2014</ref> for the ] in Boston, Massachusetts, working at the company between 1976 and 1978. At the Boston Consulting Group, he was a colleague of ], with whom he formed a lasting friendship. Romney remembers that Netanyahu at the time was: " strong personality with a distinct point of view", and says "e can almost speak in shorthand... e share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar."<ref name="Barbaro"/> Netanyahu said that their "easy communication" was a result of "B.C.G.'s intellectually rigorous boot camp."<ref name="Barbaro"/>

In 1978, Netanyahu appeared on Boston local television, under the name of '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 a Palestinian state."<ref>{{YouTube|9uaXoMIh2tc|Video Benjamin Netanyahu 1978}}(English); Jerusalem Post</ref>

In 1978, Netanyahu returned to Israel. Between 1978 and 1980 he ran the Jonathan Netanyahu Anti-Terror Institute,<ref name="ynetnews.com"/> 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.<ref>''The Clinton Years'', (Infobase Publishing, 2009), By Shirley Anne Warshaw, page 240</ref> During this period Netanyahu made his first connections with several Israeli politicians, including Minister ], who appointed him as his Deputy Chief of Mission at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., a position he held from 1982 until 1984.<ref name="netanyahu">{{cite news| url=http://www.netanyahu.org/biography.html | work=Netanyahu.org | title= Benjamin Netanyahu | accessdate=18 November 2012}}</ref> Between 1984 and 1988 Netanyahu served as the ].<ref name="netanyahu" /> Netanyahu was influenced by Rabbi ], with whom he formed a relationship during the 1980s. He referred to Schneerson as "the most influential man of our time."<ref>David Singer, . AJC, 1998. pp. 133–34</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/1394394/jewish/Truth-vs-Darkness-in-the-United-Nations.htm |title=Truth vs. Darkness in the United Nations |last=Netanyahu |first=Benjamin |date=24 September 2009 |publisher=Chabad.org |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |people=Netanyahu, Benjamin |year=2011 |title=The Light of Truth at the UN |medium=Speech |url=http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/1632210/jewish/The-Light-of-Truth-at-the-UN.htm |accessdate=17 March 2013 |publisher=Chabad.org |location=New York City}}</ref>

=== Early political career, 1988–96 ===
{{Infobox member of the Knesset
|Knesset(s) = ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]
|minister1 = ]
|ministeryears1 = 1996–1997
|minister2 = ]
|ministeryears2 = 1996–1999
|minister3 = ]
|ministeryears3 = 2002–2003
|minister4 = ]
|ministeryears4 = 2003–2005
|minister5 = ]
|ministeryears5 = 2009–2013
|minister6 = ]
|ministeryears6 = 2009–2013
|minister7 = ]
|ministeryears7 = 2009–2013
|minister8 = ]
|ministeryears8 = 2012–2013
|minister9 = ]
|ministeryears9 = 2013
|minister10 = ] and ]
|ministeryears10 = 2013
|minister11 = ]
|ministeryears11 = 2014–
|minister12 = ]
|ministeryears12 = 2015
|minister13 = ], ], ] and ]
|ministeryears13 = 2015–
}}
], 2 July 1986]]
Prior to the ] Netanyahu returned to Israel and joined the ] 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 ], and later on ]. Netanyahu and Levy did not cooperate and the rivalry between the two only intensified afterwards. During the ] in early 1991, the English-fluent Netanyahu emerged as the principal spokesman for Israel in media interviews on ] and other news outlets. During the ] Netanyahu was among members the Israeli delegation headed by Prime Minister ]. After the Madrid Conference Netanyahu was appointed as Deputy Minister in the Israeli Prime Minister's Office.<ref name="netanyahu" />

Following the defeat of the Likud party in the ] the Likud party held a primary election in 1993 to select its leader, and Netanyahu was victorious, defeating ], son of the late Prime Minister ], and veteran politician ]<ref>{{cite news |title= Netanyahu wins battle for leadership of Likud |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/netanyahu-wins-battle-for-leadership-of-likud-1499916.html |work=The Independent |location=London |date=26 March 1993 |accessdate=11 August 2009 }}</ref> (Sharon initially sought Likud party leadership as well, but quickly withdrew when it was evident that he was attracting minimal support). Shamir retired from politics shortly after the Likud's defeat in the 1992 elections.<ref>{{cite news |title=Yitzhak Shamir, Former Israeli Prime Minister, Dies at 96 |first=Joel |last=Brinkley |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/world/middleeast/yitzhak-shamir-former-prime-minister-of-israel-dies-at-96.html?pagewanted=all |newspaper=The New York Times |date=30 June 2012 |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref>

Following the ], his temporary successor ] decided to call early elections in order to give the government a mandate to advance the peace process.<ref>{{cite news |title=Israeli elections will test support for peace |first=Jerrold |last=Kessel |url=http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9602/israel_elex/02-11/index.html |newspaper=CNN |date=11 February 1996 |accessdate=10 March 2013}}</ref> Netanyahu was the Likud's candidate for Prime Minister in the ] which took place on 26 May 1996 and were the first Israeli elections in which ] elected their Prime Minister directly. Netanyahu hired American ] political operative ] to run his campaign, and although the American style of sound bites and sharp attacks elicited harsh criticism from inside Israel, it proved effective (the method was later copied by ] during the ] in which Barak beat Netanyahu). When Netanyahu won the ], he became the youngest person in the history of the position and the first Israeli Prime Minister to be born in the State of Israel (] 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 ] surprised many. The main catalyst in the downfall of the latter was a wave of ] shortly before the elections; on ] and ], Palestinians carried out two ]s, killing 32 Israelis, with Peres seemingly unable to stop the attacks. Unlike Peres, Netanyahu did not trust ] and conditioned any progress at the peace process on the ] fulfilling its obligations – mainly fighting terrorism, and ran with the campaign slogan "Netanyahu – making a safe peace". However, although Netanyahu won the election for Prime Minister, ] won the ], beating the Likud–]–] alliance, meaning Netanyahu had to rely on a coalition with the ] parties, ] and ] (whose social welfare policies flew in the face of his capitalistic outlook) in order to govern.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}

=== First premiership (1996–99) ===
{{Further|Twenty-seventh government of Israel}}
] at the Erez crossing, 4 September 1996]]
A spate of suicide bombings reinforced the Likud position for security. ] claimed responsibility for most of the bombings. As Prime Minister Netanyahu raised many questions about many central premises of the ]. 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 ], and the amending of the ]. Oslo supporters had claimed that 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 the ], Prime Minister Netanyahu continued their implementation, but his Premiership saw a marked slow-down in the Peace Process.

In 1996, Netanyahu and ]'s mayor ] decided to open an exit in the ] for the ], which prior Prime Minister ] had instructed to be put on hold for the sake of peace.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/macleans/israel-opens-disputed-tunnel |title=Israel Opens Disputed Tunnel |last1=Morris |first1=Nomi |last2=Silver |first2=Eric |date=7 October 1996 |publisher=Maclean's |accessdate=9 March 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/20121020014235/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/macleans/israel-opens-disputed-tunnel |archivedate=20 October 2012 }}</ref> This sparked three days of ] by Palestinians, resulting in both Israelis and Palestinians being killed.<ref>{{cite news |title=Step Inside The Hidden Tunnels Under Jerusalem's Sacred Western Wall |first=Grace |last=Wyler |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/western-wall-tunnels-israel-jerusalem-temple-photos-2013-1?op=1 |newspaper=Business Insider |date=31 January 2013 |accessdate=10 March 2013}}</ref> In January 1997 Netanyahu signed the ] with the ] which resulted in the redeployment of Israeli forces in ] and the turnover of civilian authority in much of the area to the ].

] and Palestinian President ] at the ], 1998]]
Eventually, the lack of progress of the peace process led to new negotiations which produced the ] in 1998 which detailed 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 ], and on 17 November 1998, Israel's 120 member parliament, the ], approved the Wye River Memorandum by a vote of 75–19. As Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized a policy of "three no(s)": no withdrawal from the Golan Heights, no discussion of the case of Jerusalem, no negotiations under any preconditions.<ref>Hawas, Akram T. ''''. The fourth Nordic conference on Middle Eastern Studies:
The Middle East in globalizing world. Oslo, 13–16 August 1998.</ref>
] tent in ], 1996]]
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 ], enabling Israelis to take an unrestricted amount of money out of the country, open foreign bank accounts, hold foreign currency, and invest freely in other countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jta.org/1998/04/29/archive/israel-reforms-economy-on-eve-of-independence-day-2|title=Israel Reforms Economy on Eve of Independence Day|work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/26/world/in-fight-over-privatization-netanyahu-wins-a-round.html|title=In Fight Over Privatization, Netanyahu Wins a Round|date=26 July 1997|work=nytimes.com|first=Serge|last=Schmemann}}</ref>

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 ] 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, ] recommended that Netanyahu be indicted on corruption charges for influence-peddling. He was accused of appointing an attorney general who would reduce the charges and prosecutors ruled that there was insufficient evidence to go to trial.<ref name=latimes_corruption>{{cite news |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2000/mar/29/news/mn-13783|work=LA Times |date=29 March 2000 |accessdate=11 July 2011 |first=Tracy |last=Wilkinson |title=Israeli Police Want Netanyahu, Wife Indicted Over Handling of State Gifts}}</ref> In 1999, Netanyahu faced another scandal when the ] 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.<ref name=corruption>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/09/27/world/main236708.shtml|publisher=] |date=11 February 2009 |accessdate=11 July 2011 |title=Netanyahu Corruption Charges Dropped}}</ref>

After being defeated by ] in the 1999 ], Netanyahu temporarily retired from politics.<ref name=bio>{{cite news |title= Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3064466,00.html |publisher=] |date=28 March 2005 |accessdate=5 August 2009}}</ref> He subsequently served as a senior consultant with Israeli communications equipment developer BATM for two years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Netanyahu Now High-Tech Consultant|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1999/aug/03/news/mn-62127|accessdate=20 September 2012|newspaper=]|date=3 August 1999|agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Freund|first=Oren|script-title=he:חברת העבר של בנימין נתניהו נרשמה למסחר בבורסה בת"א|url=http://www.themarker.com/markets/1.1826447|accessdate=20 September 2012|newspaper=]|date=19 September 2012|language=Hebrew}}</ref>

=== Political downturn and recovery, 2000–03 ===
] at the Jewish Community Centre, Moscow, 2000]]
With the fall of the Barak government in late 2000, Netanyahu expressed his desire to return to politics. By law, Barak's resignation 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 ], who at the time was considered less popular than Netanyahu. In 2002, after the ] left the coalition and vacated the position of foreign minister, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon appointed Netanyahu as Foreign Minister.<ref name="netanyahu" /> Netanyahu challenged Sharon for the leadership of the Likud party, but failed to oust Sharon.<ref>{{cite news |title= Sharon Beats Netanyahu in Likud Primary |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,71685,00.html |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=28 November 2002 |accessdate=29 July 2009}}</ref>

On 9 September 2002, a scheduled speech by Netanyahu at ] in Montreal, Quebec, Canada ] after hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters overwhelmed security and smashed through a glass window. Netanyahu was not present at the protest, having remained at Montreal's ] throughout the duration. He later accused the activists of supporting terrorism and "mad zealotry."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cautbulletin.ca/en_article.asp?ArticleID=1405 |title=Concordia University Imposes Ban on Middle East Events |publisher=Canadian Association of University Teachers |accessdate=4 March 2013}}</ref> Weeks later on 1 October 2002 around 200 protesters met Netanyahu outside his ] appearance in ] although ], Israeli security and a Pittsburgh ] unit allowed his speeches to continue ] at the hall and the ] as well as suburban ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu says U.S. should topple Saddam |first1=Steve |last1=Levin |first2=Dennis |last2=Roddy |first3=Bill |last3=Schackner |first4=Nate |last4=Guidry |url=http://old.post-gazette.com/World/20021002netanyahu2.asp |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=2 October 2002 |accessdate=1 March 2013}}</ref>

On 12 September 2002, Netanyahu testified (under oath as a private citizen) before the ] ] regarding the nuclear threat posed by the Iraqi régime: "There is no question whatsoever that ] 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."<ref>{{cite news |title=Iraq 2002, Iran 2012: Compare and contrast Netanyahu's speeches |url=http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/diplomania/iraq-2002-iran-2012-compare-and-contrast-netanyahu-s-speeches-1.468213 |newspaper=Haaretz|date= |accessdate=18 November 2013}}</ref> Netanyahu and other high rank officials from different countries had suspected that Iraq could develop a nuclear capability, as the country began building a nuclear power plant program in 1959 with the ], but Israeli airstrikes had destroyed Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981 (see ]).<ref>{{cite news |last=Keeley |first=James F |year=2009 |title=A list of bilateral civilian nuclear co-operation agreements |publisher=University of Calgary, Canada |page=595 |quote=Source: UNTS 10362. |volume=5 |url=http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/bitstream/1880/47373/11/Treaty_List_Volume_05.pdf |deadurl=no |accessdate=31 January 2014}}</ref>

=== Finance Minister (2003–05) ===
After the ], in what many observers regarded as a surprise move, Sharon offered the ] to ] and offered Netanyahu the ]. 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 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.<ref name=marketwatch></ref>

As Finance Minister, Netanyahu undertook an economic plan in order to restore Israel's economy from its low point during the ]. Netanyahu claimed that a bloated public sector and excessive regulations were largely responsible for stifling economic growth. His plan involved a move toward more ], 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 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 ] national airline, and ]. 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 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.<ref name=marketwatch/><ref name="Likud Leaders 2015">''Likud Leaders'', Thomas G. Mitchell, McFarland, (March 2015), Chapter 10</ref><ref>http://www.forbes.com/sites/taxanalysts/2015/11/13/netanyahus-economic-reforms-and-the-laffer-curve/</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news |first=Gil |last=Hoffman |title=Netanyahu: Sharon is a dictator |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=5323 |publisher=] |date=21 November 2005 |accessdate=17 June 2012}}</ref> Ultimately, unemployment declined while economic growth soared, the debt-to-GDP ration dropped to one of the lowest in the world, and foreign investment reached record highs.<ref name=marketwatch/>

Netanyahu threatened to resign from office in 2004 unless the ] 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Knesset approves PM Sharon's disengagement plan |first1=Gideon |last1=Alon |first2=Mazal |last2=Mualem |first3=Nadav |last3=Shragai |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/knesset-approves-pm-sharon-s-disengagement-plan-1.138398 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=26 October 2004 |accessdate=10 March 2013}}</ref> He submitted his resignation letter on 7 August 2005, shortly before the Israeli cabinet voted 17 to 5 to approve the initial phase of withdrawal from ].<ref>{{cite news |first= Stephen |last=Farrell|title= Netanyahu resigns from Cabinet over Gaza withdrawal |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article552940.ece |work=The Times |location=London |date=8 August 2005 |accessdate=29 July 2009 }}</ref>

=== Likud leader and opposition leader (2005–09) ===
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 the leadership on 20 December 2005, with 47% of the primary vote, to 32% for ] and 15% for ].<ref name=xinh>{{cite news |title= Netanyahu elected as Likud party chairman |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-12/20/content_3944753.htm |publisher=Xinhua News Agency |date=20 December 2005 |accessdate=27 July 2009}}</ref> In the ], Likud took the third place behind ] and ] and Netanyahu served as Leader of the Opposition.<ref name=poor>{{cite news |last= Marciano |first= Ilan|title= Likud stunned by collapse |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3233422,00.html |publisher=] |date=28 March 2006 |accessdate=27 July 2009}}</ref> On 14 August 2007, Netanyahu was reelected as chairman of the Likud and its candidate for the post of Prime Minister with 73% of the vote, against far-right candidate ] and World Likud chairman ].<ref name=feig>{{cite news |title= Netanyahu wins Likud leadership |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6947176.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=15 August 2007 |accessdate=11 August 2009}}</ref> He opposed the ], like others in the Knesset opposition. Specifically, Netanyahu said, "This is not a relaxation, it's an Israeli agreement to the rearming of Hamas&nbsp;... What are we getting for this?"<ref name=wash>{{cite news |last= Mitnick |first= Joshua|title= Olmert: Truce with Hamas 'fragile' |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jun/20/olmert-says-truce-with-hamas-fragile/ |work=The Washington Times |date=20 June 2008 |accessdate=29 July 2009}}</ref>

In the first half of 2008, doctors removed a small ] that proved to be benign.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/171896|title=Netanyahu Undergoes Medical Examination|date=4 October 2009|publisher=]|accessdate=15 October 2009}}</ref>

] ] for a working dinner in Washington DC, 18 May 2009]]
Following ]'s election to head ] and Olmert's resignation from the post of Prime Minister, Netanyahu declined to join the coalition Livni was trying to form and supported new elections, which were held in February 2009.<ref>{{cite news |last= Tran |first= Mark|title= Netanyahu calls for new Israeli elections |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/31/israelandthepalestinians1 |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=31 July 2008 |accessdate=29 July 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu rejects Livni's call for unity government |first=Mazal |last=Mualem |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/netanyahu-rejects-livni-s-call-for-unity-government-1.254503 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=24 September 2008 |accessdate=1 March 2013}}</ref> Netanyahu was the Likud's candidate for Prime Minister in the ] which took place on 10 February 2009, as Livni, the previous ] under the Olmert government, had been unable to form a viable governing coalition. Opinion polls showed Likud in the lead, but with as many as a third of Israeli voters undecided.<ref>{{cite news |first=Marie |last=Colvin |title= Netanyahu stokes fears to take poll lead |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5683360.ece |work=The Sunday Times |location=London |date=8 February 2009 |accessdate=8 February 2009 }}</ref>

In the election itself, Likud won the second highest number of seats, Livni's party having outnumbered the Likud by one seat. A possible explanation for Likud's relatively poor showing is that some Likud supporters defected to ]'s ] party. Netanyahu, however, claimed victory on the basis that right wing parties won the majority of the vote, and on 20 February 2009, Netanyahu was designated by Israeli President ] to succeed Ehud Olmert as prime minister, and began his negotiations to form a coalition government.

Despite right wing parties winning a majority of 65 seats in the ], Netanyahu preferred a broader centrist coalition and turned to his Kadima rivals, chaired by Tzipi Livni, to join his government. This time it was Livni's turn to decline to join, with a difference of opinion on how to pursue the peace process being the stumbling block. Netanyahu did manage to entice a smaller rival, the Labour party, chaired by Ehud Barak, to join his government, giving him a certain amount of centrist tone. Netanyahu presented his cabinet for a Knesset "Vote of Confidence" on 31 March 2009. The 32nd Government was approved that day by a majority of 69 lawmakers to 45 (with five abstaining) and the members were sworn in.<ref name=swornh/><ref name=swornr/>

=== Second premiership, 2009–13 ===
{{Further|Thirty-second government of Israel}}
] in the ], 18 May 2009]]
] in Russia, 24 March 2011]]
In 2009, US Secretary of State ] voiced support for the establishment of a ]—a solution not endorsed by ]-designate Benjamin Netanyahu,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\03\04\story_4-3-2009_pg4_1|title=Clinton pledges to press for Palestinian state|agency=The Daily Times|date=4 March 2009}}</ref> with whom she had earlier pledged the United States' cooperation.<ref>{{cite news |title=In Israel, Clinton pledges to work with new government |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/world/africa/03iht-mideast.1.20555576.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=3 March 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> Upon the arrival of President Obama administration's special envoy, ], Netanyahu said that any furtherance of negotiations with the Palestinians would be conditioned on the Palestinians recognizing Israel as a Jewish state.<ref>{{cite news |title=Israel demands Palestinians recognize Jewish state |first=Ari |last=Rabinovitch |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/israel-demands-palestinians-recognize-jewish-state-250620 |newspaper=International Business Times |date=16 April 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref>

During ] on 4 June 2009 in which Obama addressed the ], Obama stated, among other things, that "The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements." Following Obama's Cairo speech Netanyahu immediately called a special government meeting. On 14 June, ten days after Obama's Cairo speech, Netanyahu gave a speech at Bar-Ilan University in which he endorsed a "Demilitarized Palestinian State", though said that Jerusalem must remain the unified capital of Israel.<ref name="Hatz 14Jun2009">{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/netanyahu-backs-demilitarized-palestinian-state-1.277915 |title=Netanyahu backs demilitarized Palestinian state |date=14 June 2009 |newspaper=Haaretz |accessdate=14 May 2012}}</ref> Netanyahu stated that he would accept a ] if ] were to remain ], the Palestinians would have no army, and the Palestinians would give up their demand for a ]. He also argued the right for a "natural growth" in the ] in the ] while their permanent status is up to further negotiation. Senior Palestinian official, Sereb Ereket, said that the speech had "closed the door to permanent status negotiations" due to Netanyahu's declarations on Jerusalem, refugees and settlements.<ref name=huff/>{{Better source|reason=I have just read the source and I think this sentence misrepresents what the source (from AP) says. In the source, it says that Benjamin Netanyahu actually reversed his position, so no renewal, among other things|date=March 2012}}

Three months after starting his term, Netanyahu remarked that his cabinet already had achieved several notable successes, such as the establishment of a working ], and a broad consensus for a "]".<ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu: We have consensus on two-state solution |first=Barak |last=Ravid |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/netanyahu-we-have-consensus-on-two-state-solution-1.279374 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=5 July 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> A July 2009 survey by ] found that most Israelis support the Netanyahu government, giving him a personal approval rating of about 49 percent.<ref>{{cite news |title=Poll Gives Netanyahu Positive Marks Despite Rift with US |first=Robert |last=Berger |url=http://www.voanews.com/content/a-13-2009-07-03-voa19-68745072/410252.html |newspaper=Voice of America |date=3 July 2009 |accessdate=1 March 2013}}</ref> Netanyahu has lifted checkpoints in the ] in order to allow freedom of movement and a flow of imports; a step that resulted in an economic boost in the West Bank.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nablus booms as barriers fall in occupied West Bank |first=Leigh |last=Baldwin |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/Aug/11/Nablus-booms-as-barriers-fall-in-occupied-West-Bank.ashx |newspaper=The Daily Star (Lebanon) |date=11 August 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Thomas Friedman|title=Green Shoots in Palestine II |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/opinion/09friedman.html?_r=1 |work=The New York Times |date=9 August 2009 |accessdate=9 August 2009 |authorlink=Thomas Friedman}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Khaled|last=Abu Toameh|title=West Bank boom |url=http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=148995 |work=] |date=17 July 2009 |accessdate=17 June 2012}}</ref> In 2009, Netanyahu welcomed the ] (also known as the "Saudi Peace Initiative") and lauded a call by ]'s ] ] to normalize relations with Israel.<ref>{{cite news |title= Netanyahu supports Arab peace initiative |url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/07/24/Netanyahu-supports-Arab-peace-initiative/UPI-32111248433108/ |publisher=United Press International |date=24 July 2009 |accessdate=9 August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu to Arabs: Saudi plan can help bring peace |first=Barak |last=Ravid |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/netanyahu-to-arabs-saudi-plan-can-help-bring-peace-1.280615 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=23 July 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref>

In August 2009, Abbas declared that he would be willing to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu at the ], where Netanyahu had accepted president Obama's invitation for a "triple summit," although he said it would not necessarily lead to negotiations.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3767480,00.html|title=Palestinians: Abbas open to meeting with Netanyahu |last=Waked|first=Ali|date=26 September 2009|publisher=]|accessdate=4 September 2009}}</ref> Netanyahu was reported to be in a pivotal moment over these understandings, that were reported to include a compromise over permission on continuing the already approved construction in the ] in exchange for freezing all settlements thereafter, as well as continuing building in ], and at the same time stopping the demolition of houses of Arab inhabitants there.<ref name="Maariv1">{{cite news|url=http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART1/937/362.html|script-title=he:התוכנית האמריקאית: פסגה צנועה והצהרת עקרונות|last=Bengal|first=Mia|date=2 September 2009|publisher=]|language=Hebrew|accessdate=4 September 2009}}</ref> On 4 September 2009, it was reported that Netanyahu was to agree to settlers' political demands to approve more settlement constructions before a temporary settlement freeze agreement took place.<ref>{{cite news |title=Israel to Approve More Settlement Construction Before Freeze |first=Robert |last=Berger |url=http://www.voanews.com/content/a-13-2009-09-04-voa19-68663332/408369.html |newspaper=Voice of America |date=4 September 2009 |accessdate=1 March 2013}}</ref> White House spokesman ] expressed "regret" over the move;<ref>{{cite news |title=US, EU slam Netanyahu's approval of construction |first=Yitzhak |last=Benhorin |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3772205,00.html |newspaper=Ynetnews |date=4 September 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> however, one U.S. official said the move will not "derail train".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0909/US_Settlement_move_wont_derail_train.html?showall|title=U.S official.: Settlement move won't 'derail train'|last=Smith|first=Ben|date=4 September 2009|publisher=Politico|accessdate=4 September 2009}}</ref>

On 7 September 2009, Netanyahu left his office without reporting where he was headed. The prime minister's military secretary, Maj. Gen. Meir Kalifi, later reported Netanyahu had visited a security facility in Israel.<ref name="dis-1">{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3774201,00.html|title=Report: PM held secret talks in Russia|date=10 September 2009|publisher=]|accessdate=11 September 2009}}</ref> Several different news agencies reported several different stories about where he was.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3773829,00.html|title=Palestinian paper: Netanyahu visited Arab state|date=8 September 2009|publisher=]|accessdate=11 September 2009}}</ref> On 9 September 2009, ] reported that the Israeli leader had made a secret flight to Moscow to try to persuade Russian officials not to sell S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran.<ref name=dis-1/><ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu secretly visited Russia: reports |first1=Amie |last1=Ferris-Rotman |first2=Jeffrey |last2=Heller |first3=Philippa |last3=Fletcher |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/09/09/us-israel-russia-idUSTRE5882T420090909 |newspaper=Reuters |date=9 September 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu absence sparks rumours of Russia visit |first1=Vita |last1=Bekker |first2=Charles |last2=Clover |first3=Stefan |last3=Wagstyl |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b5c17af8-9e69-11de-b0aa-00144feabdc0.html |newspaper=Financial Times |date=11 September 2009 |accessdate=10 March 2013}}</ref> Headlines branded Netanyahu a "liar" and dubbed the affair a "fiasco."<ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu draws fire in Israel over secret trip |first=Jeffrey |last=Heller |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/09/10/us-israel-netanyahu-idUSTRE5891YJ20090910 |newspaper=Reuters |date=10 September 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Israeli PM's secret trip irks media |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2009/09/20099115339794467.html |newspaper=Al Jazeera English |date=11 September 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> It was later reported that the PM's military secretary will be dismissed due to the affair.<ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu aide likely to pay price for 'secret' Russia trip |first=Amos |last=Harel |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/netanyahu-aide-likely-to-pay-price-for-secret-russia-trip-1.8085 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=11 September 2009 |accessdate=1 March 2013}}</ref> '']'' reported that the trip was made to share the names of Russian scientists that Israel believes are abetting the alleged Iranian nuclear weapons program.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Uzi |last1=Mahnaimi |author2=Franchetti, Mark; Swain, Jon |title=Israel names Russians helping Iran build nuclear bomb |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6860161.ece |work=The Sunday Times |location=London |date=4 October 2009 |accessdate=4 October 2009}}</ref>
], appointed Israel's Chief of Police in 2011]]
On 24 September 2009, in an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Netanyahu said Iran poses a threat to the peace of the world and that it is incumbent on the world body to prevent the Islamic Republic from obtaining nuclear weapons.<ref name="un-1">{{cite news |title=Netanyahu speech / PM slams Gaza probe, challenges UN to confront Iran |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/netanyahu-speech-pm-slams-gaza-probe-challenges-un-to-confront-iran-1.7301 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=24 September 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref><ref name="un-2">{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3781710,00.html|title=PM to UN: Iran fueled by fundamentalism|date=24 September 2009|publisher=]|accessdate=24 September 2009}}</ref> Waving the blueprints for Auschwitz and invoking the memory of his own family members murdered by the Nazis, Netanyahu delivered a passionate and public riposte to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's questioning of the Holocaust, asking: "Have you no shame?"<ref>{{cite news |title=Israel's Netanyahu hits back at Iran's Holocaust claims |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Israels-Netanyahu-hits-back-at-Irans-Holocaust-claims/tabid/417/articleID/122747/Default.aspx |newspaper=3 News |date=25 September 2009 |accessdate=1 March 2013}}</ref>

In response to pressure from the Obama administration urging the sides to resume peace talks, on 25 November 2009 Netanyahu announced a partial 10-month settlement construction freeze plan. The announced partial freeze had no significant effect on actual settlement construction, according to an analysis by the major Israeli daily ].<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Haaretz |date=27 November 2009 |title=Analysis: Settlers Have Been Working for Months to Undermine Construction Freeze, Situation on the Ground Suggests that There Will Be Nearly No Change in Settlement Construction |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/analysis-settlers-have-been-working-for-months-to-undermine-construction-freeze-1.3310 }}</ref> U.S. special envoy George Mitchell said, "while the United States shares Arab concerns about the limitations of Israel's gesture, it is more than any Israeli government has ever done".<ref>{{cite news |title=US Welcomes Israeli Settlement Move, Urges Palestinians to Enter Negotiations |first=David |last=Gollust |url=http://www.voanews.com/content/us-welcomes-israeli-settlement-move-urges-palestinians-to-enter-negotiations-73905167/415919.html |newspaper=Voice of America |date=25 November 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> In his announcement Netanyahu called the move "a painful step that will encourage the peace process" and urged the Palestinians to respond.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cabinet votes on 10-month building freeze |first=Roni |last=Sofer |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3810640,00.html |newspaper=Ynetnews |date=25 November 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> The Palestinians rejected the call, stating the gesture was "insignificant" in that thousands of recently approved settlement buildings in the West Bank would continue to be built and there would be no freeze of settlement activity in East Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20091126-palestinans-reject-israeli-partial-settlement-freeze-offer |title=Palestinians reject Netanyahu's offer of partial settlement freeze |date=26 November 2009 |publisher=] |accessdate=14 December 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/20091128060132/http://www.france24.com:80/en/20091126-palestinans-reject-israeli-partial-settlement-freeze-offer |archivedate=28 November 2009 }}</ref>

In March 2010, Israel's government approved construction of an additional 1,600 apartments in a large Jewish housing development in northern East Jerusalem called ]<ref name="jp2010-03-14">{{cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=170912|title='We'll prevent future embarrassments'|date=14 March 2010|publisher=The Jerusalem Post|accessdate=17 March 2010}}</ref> despite the position of the current U.S. Government that acts such as this thwart the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The Israeli government's announcement occurred during a visit by U.S. Vice-President ] and the U.S. government subsequently issued a strongly worded condemnation of the plan.<ref name="t2010-03-16">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7062808.ece|title=Anger in Ramat Shlomo as settlement row grows|date=16 March 2010|work=The Times |location=London |accessdate=16 March 2010 |first1=Sheera |last1=Frenkel}}</ref> Netanyahu subsequently issued a statement that all previous Israeli governments had continuously permitted construction in the neighborhood, and that certain neighborhoods such as Ramat Shlomo and ] have always been included as part of Israel in any final agreement plan that has been proposed by either side to date.<ref name="jp2010-03-14"/> Netanyahu regretted the timing of the announcement but asserted that "our policy on Jerusalem is the same policy followed by all Israeli governments for the 42 years, and it has not changed."<ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu and Obama to meet Tuesday in Washington |first1=Barak |last1=Ravid |first2=Natasha |last2=Mozgovaya |first3=Jack |last3=Khoury |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/netanyahu-and-obama-to-meet-tuesday-in-washington-1.265096 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=21 March 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref>

], ] and ] at the start of the ], 2 September 2010]]
In September 2010, Netanyahu agreed to enter ], mediated by the ], with the Palestinians for the first time in a long while.<ref name="ap090110">{{cite news |title=Mideast peace talks open to qualified optimism |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/38948469/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/ |publisher=NBCNews.com |date=1 September 2010 |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> The ultimate aim of these direct talks is to forge the framework of an official "final status settlement" to the ] by forming a ] for the ] and the ]. On 27 September, the 10-month settlement freeze ended, and the Israeli government approved new construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. pushes talks as Israel resumes settlement building |first1=Jill |last1=Dougherty |first2=Elise |last2=Labott |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/09/27/us.mideast.peace.talks/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=27 September 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref> On retiring from office in July 2011, former U.S. Secretary of Defense ] had said that Netanyahu was ungrateful to the United States and endangering Israel. Responding, the Likud party defended Netanyahu by saying that most Israelis supported the Prime Minister and that he had broad support in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |title=Likud defends Netanyahu after report Gates called him 'ungrateful' |first1=Barak |last1=Ravid |first2=Eli |last2=Ashkenazi |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/likud-defends-netanyahu-after-report-gates-called-him-ungrateful-1.382875 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=6 September 2011 |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Gates called Netanyahu an ungrateful ally to U.S. and a danger to Israel' |first=Barak |last=Ravid |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/gates-called-netanyahu-an-ungrateful-ally-to-u-s-and-a-danger-to-israel-1.382828 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=6 September 2011 |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref>

In 2011, ] broke out across Israel. Hundreds of thousands of people protested Israel's high cost of living throughout the country. In response, Netanyahu appointed the ], headed by professor ], to examine the problems and propose solutions. The committee submitted recommendations to lower the high cost of living in September 2011.<ref>{{cite press release |title=The recommendations of the Trajtenberg Committee were submitted today to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance |url=http://www.financeisrael.mof.gov.il/FinanceIsrael/Docs/En/pressReleases/20110927.pdf |publisher=Ministry of Finance |date=27 September 2011 |accessdate=27 January 2012}}</ref> Although Netanyahu promised to push the proposed reforms through the cabinet in one piece, differences inside his coalition resulted in the reforms being gradually adopted.<ref>{{cite news |author=Moti Bassok and Jonathan Lis |title=Netanyahu strikes deal with Yisrael Beiteinu to approve Trajtenberg report |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/netanyahu-strikes-deal-with-yisrael-beiteinu-to-approve-trajtenberg-report-1.388958 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=9 October 2011 |accessdate=27 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Avi Bar-Eli, Meirav Arlosoroff and Ora Coren |title=Despite PM's promises, most Trajtenberg recommendations may never become law |url=http://english.themarker.com/despite-pm-s-promises-most-trajtenberg-recommendations-may-never-become-law-1.395637 |newspaper=The Marker – Haaretz |date=15 November 2011 |accessdate=27 January 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/20120116034934/http://english.themarker.com:80/despite-pm-s-promises-most-trajtenberg-recommendations-may-never-become-law-1.395637 |archivedate=16 January 2012 }}</ref>

Netanyahu's cabinet also approved a plan to build a ] network across the country to bring cheap, high-speed ] Internet access to every home.<ref>http://tradebridgeconsultants.com/news/government/cabinet-announces-fibre-optic-internet-access-in-every-home/</ref><ref>http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-1000857455</ref>

In 2012, Netanyahu initially planned to call early elections, but subsequently oversaw the creation of a controversial government of national unity to see Israel through until the national elections of 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/in-surprise-move-netanyahu-mofaz-agree-to-form-unity-government-cancel-early-elections-1.428843 |title=In surprise move, Netanyahu, Mofaz agree to form unity government, cancel early elections |last1=Lis |first1=Jonathan |last2=Bar-Zohar |first2=Ophir |date=8 May 2012 |newspaper=Haaretz |accessdate=9 May 2012}}</ref> In May 2012, Netanyahu officially recognized for the first time the right for Palestinians to have their own state, though as before<ref name="Hatz 14Jun2009" /> he declared it would have to be demilitarized.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-pledges-to-establish-demilitarized-palestinian-state/ |title=PM promises Abbas a demilitarized Palestinian state |last1=Winer |first1=Stuart |last2=Ahren |first2=Raphael |date=14 May 2012 |newspaper=The Times of Israel |accessdate=14 May 2012}}</ref> On 25 October 2012, Netanyahu and Foreign Minister ] announced that their respective political parties, ] and ], had merged and would run together on a single ballot in Israel's 22 January 2013 general elections.<ref>{{cite web|last=Leshem|first=Elie|title=Netanyahu, Liberman announce they'll run joint list for Knesset|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-announces-merger-with-israel-beytenu-promises-to-lead-with-strength/|work=The Times of Israel|accessdate=27 October 2012}}</ref>

=== Third premiership, 2013–15 ===
{{Further|Thirty-third government of Israel}}
] and Netanyahu, Jerusalem, 23 July 2014]]
The ] returned Netanyahu's ] coalition with 11 fewer seats than the combined Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu parties had going into the vote. Nevertheless, as leader of what remained the largest faction in the Knesset, Israeli president Shimon Peres charged Netanyahu with the task of forming the ]. The new coalition included the ], ] and ] parties and excludes the ultra-Orthodox parties at the insistence of Yesh Atid and the Jewish Home.

During Netanyahu's third term, he continued his policy of economic liberalization. In December 2013, the Knesset approved the Business Concentration Law, which intended to open Israel's highly concentrated economy to competition to lower consumer prices, reduce income inequality, and increase economic growth. Netanyahu had formed the Concentration Committee in 2010, and the bill, which was pushed forward by his government, implemented its recommendations. The new law banned multi-tiered corporate holding structures, in which a CEO's family members or other affiliated individuals held public companies which in turn owned other public companies, and who were thus able to engage in ]. Under the law, corporations were banned from owning more than two tiers of publicly listed companies and from holding both financial and non-financial enterprises. All conglomerates were given four to six years to sell excess holdings.<ref></ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/business/1.565986|title=What is Israel's new Business Concentration Law and why should we care?|date=29 December 2013|work=Haaretz}}</ref> Netanyahu also began a campaign of port privatization to break what he viewed as the monopoly held by workers of the ], so as to lower consumer prices and increase exports. In July 2013, he issued tenders for the construction of private ports in ] and ].<ref></ref> Netanyahu has also pledged to curb excess bureaucracy and regulations to ease the burden on industry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/business/concentration-in-business/.premium-1.576937|title=Netanyahu vows to free economy of regulation and bureaucracy|date=27 February 2014|work=Haaretz}}</ref>

], 24 July 2014]]
In April 2014, and again in June, Netanyahu spoke of his deep concerns when Hamas and the Palestinian Authority agreed and then formed a unity government, and was severely critical of both the United States and European governments' decision to work with the Palestinian coalition government.<ref> 3 June 2014
]</ref> He blamed Hamas for ] in June 2014,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/world/middleeast/netanyahu-blames-hamas-in-kidnapping-of-israeli-youths.html?_r=0|title=Netanyahu Says Three Were Taken by Hamas|author=Jodi Rudoren|date=15 June 2014|accessdate=24 February 2015|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> and launched a massive search and arrest operation on the West Bank, targeting members of Hamas in particular, and over the following weeks hit 60 targets in Gaza.<ref name="Leas" >James Marc Leas, ] 21 January 2015.</ref> Missile and rocket exchanges between Gaza militants and the IDF escalated after the bodies of the teenagers, who had been killed almost immediately as the government had good reasons to suspect, were discovered on 30 June 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.602189|title=Live updates, July 1: Teens' bodies found|publisher=Haaretz|accessdate=24 February 2015|date=1 July 2014}}</ref> After several ] operatives were killed, either in an explosion or from an Israeli bombing, Hamas officially declared it would launch rockets from Gaza into Israel,<ref name="Leas" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/01/us-palestinians-israel-idUSKBN0F521P20140701|title=Israel mourns teenagers, strikes Hamas in Gaza|date=1 July 2014|accessdate=24 February 2015|author=Ori Lewis|agency=Reuters}}</ref> and Israel started ] in the Gaza Strip, formally ending the November 2012 ceasefire agreement.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/idfs-operation-protective-edge-begins-against-gaza/2014/07/08/ | title=IDF's Operation "Protective Edge" Begins Against Gaza | publisher=JewishPress | accessdate=8 July 2014}}</ref> The prime minister did a round of television shows in the United States and described Hamas as "genocidal terrorists" in an interview on CNN.<ref name="IsraelPM">{{cite news|title=Hamas genocidal terrorists says Netanyahu|url=http://www.israelnews.net/index.php/sid/223948551/scat/f81a4d9d561822ee/ht/Hamas-genocidal-terrorists-says-Netanyahu|accessdate=19 July 2014|publisher=''Israel News.Net''}}</ref> When asked if Gazan casualties from the operation might spark "a third intifada", Netanyahu replied that Hamas was working towards that goal.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.defenseone.com/threats/2014/07/why-benjamin-netanyahu-should-be-very-very-worried/89897/ |title=Why Benjamin Netanyahu Should Be Very, Very Worried |last1=Fournier |first1=Ron |date=28 July 2014 |website=www.defenseone.com |publisher=National Journal |accessdate=29 July 2014}}</ref>

In October 2014, Netanyahu's government approved a privatization plan to reduce corruption and politicization in government companies, and strengthen Israel's capital market. Under the plan, minority stakes of up to 49% in state-owned companies, including arms manufacturers, energy, postal, water, and railway companies, as well as the ports of Haifa and Ashdod.<ref></ref> That same month, Netanyahu called restrictions on settlements "against the American values,"<ref name=nypost>{{cite news |url=http://nypost.com/2014/10/05/netanyahu-white-house-criticism-of-israel-is-un-american/ |title=Netanyahu: White House criticism of Israel is un-American |date=5 October 2014 |website=nypost.com |publisher=New York Post |accessdate=5 October 2014}}</ref> a remark that earned him a sharp rebuke from the White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, who noted that American values had resulted in Israel receiving not only consistent funding but protective technology such as Iron Dome.<ref>"Barak Ravid: White House responds to Netanyahu: American values gave Israel the Iron Dome" http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.619534</ref> Not long thereafter, Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic reported that the relationship between Netanyahu and the White House had reached a new low, with the U.S. administration angry over Israel's settlement policies, and Netanyahu expressing contempt for the American administration's grasp of the Middle East.<ref>"The Crisis in U.S.-Israel Relations Is Officially Here" http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/10/the-crisis-in-us-israel-relations-is-officially-here/382031/</ref> Netanyahu explained that he does not accept restrictions on where Jews could live, and said that Jerusalem's Arabs and Jews should be able to buy homes wherever they want. He said he was "baffled" by the American condemnation. "It's against the American values. And it doesn't bode well for peace. The idea that we'd have this ethnic purification as a condition for peace, I think it's anti-peace."<ref name=nypost/> ] in Moscow to discuss Syria and Iran, 21 September 2015]]

On 2 December 2014, Netanyahu fired two of his ministers, Finance Minister ], who heads the centrist ] party and Justice Minister ], who heads ]. The changes led to the dissolution of the government, with new elections expected on 17 March 2015.<ref>"'Knesset votes to dissolve, sets new elections for March 17' (Dec 8, 2014) The Times of Israel" http://www.timesofisrael.com/knesset-votes-unanimously-to-dissolve-ushering-in-new-elections/</ref>

In January 2015, Netanyahu was invited to address the US Congress. This speech marked Netanyahu's third speech to a joint session of Congress.<ref>{{cite news|title=Netanyahu to address US Congress in February|url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Netanyahu-invited-to-speak-to-joint-session-of-US-Congress-in-midst-of-election-campaign-388468|publisher=JPost|date=1 January 2015}}</ref> The day before announcing he would address Congress, ] reported that he tried to derail a meeting between U.S. lawmakers and the head of Mossad, ], who intended warning them against imposing further sanctions against Iran, a move that might derail nuclear talks.<ref>, ] 15 March 2015.</ref><ref>, ] 14 March 2015.</ref> Leading up to the speech, on 3 March 2015, Israeli consuls general in the United States "expect fierce negative reaction from U.S. Jewish communities and Israel's allies." Objections included the arrangement of the speech without the support and engagement of the Obama administration and the timing of the speech before Israel's 17 March 2015 election. Seven American Jewish lawmakers met with Ron Dermer, Israel's ambassador to the U.S. and recommended that Netanyahu instead meet with lawmakers privately to discuss Iran.<ref> Haaretz, 5 February 2015</ref> In making the speech, Netanyahu claimed to speak for all Jews worldwide, a claim disputed by others in the Jewish community.<ref> Huffington Post, 1 March 2015</ref><ref> Times of Israel, 10 February 2015</ref><ref> Haaretz, 9 February 2015</ref><ref> Haaretz, 4 March 2015</ref> Rebecca Vilkomerson, executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace, stated that "American Jews are largely appalled by the notion that Netanyahu, or any other Israeli politician – one that we did not elect and do not choose to be represented by – claims to speak for us."<ref> The Washington Post, 20 February 2015</ref>

As election day approached in what was perceived to be a close race in the 2015 Israeli elections, Netanyahu answered 'indeed' when asked whether a Palestinian state would not be established in his term. He said that support of a Palestinian state is tantamount to yielding territory for radical Islamic terrorists to attack Israel.<ref>Moran Azulay,, ] 16 March 2015:'"Whoever moves to establish a Palestinian state or intends to withdraw from territory is simply yielding territory for radical Islamic terrorist attacks against Israel",'</ref> However, Netanyahu reiterated "I don't want a one-state solution. I want a peaceful, sustainable two-state solution. I have not changed my policy."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.vice.com/article/us-says-it-will-re-evaluate-approach-to-israeli-palestinian-conflict-after-netanyahu-election-win | title=Netanyahu Backtracks on Election Pledge to Refuse a Two-State Solution After Sharp Words from the US |publisher=news.vice.com}}</ref>

=== Fourth premiership, 2015–present ===
{{further|Thirty-fourth government of Israel}}
], 2016.]]
In the ], Netanyahu returned with his party Likud leading the elections with 30 mandates, making it the single highest number of seats for the Knesset. President Rivlin granted Netanyahu an extension until 6 May 2015 to build a coalition when one had not been finalized in the first four weeks of negotiations.<ref> The Jerusalem Post, 20 April 2015</ref> He formed a coalition government within two hours of the midnight 6 May deadline.<ref name="TimesIsrael05062015">{{cite news |last= |first= |date=6 May 2015 |title=In the 11th hour, Netanyahu finalizes 61-strong coalition |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-the-11th-hour-netanyahu-finalizes-61-strong-coalition/ |newspaper=] |location=] |access-date=6 May 2015|quote=Prime minister reaches deal with Jewish home's Bennett, finalizing a right-wing government; two men set to deliver a statement; Ayelet Shaked will be named justice minister.}}</ref> His Likud party formed the coalition with ], ], ], and ].<ref name="TimesIsrael05062015"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Heller |first=Jeffery |date=6 May 2015 |title=Netanyahu clinches deal to form new Israeli government |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/06/us-israel-politics-idUSKBN0NR29R20150506 |newspaper=Reuters |location=London |access-date=6 May 2015 }}</ref>

On 28 May 2015, Netanyahu announced that he would be running for an unprecedented fifth term a Prime Minister in the next general election and that he supports Likud's current process of picking MK candidates.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hoffman |first=Gil |date=28 May 2015 |title=Netanyahu vows to run in next election, boost Likud |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Netanyahu-vows-to-run-in-next-election-boost-Likud-404319 |newspaper=] |location=], ] |access-date=28 May 2015 |quote=Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared for the first time Wednesday that he intends to run for an unprecedented fifth term in the next general election, promising to lead the Likud to 40 seats. }}</ref>

In August 2015, Netanyahu's government approved a two-year budget that would see agricultural reforms and lowering of import duties to reduce food prices, deregulation of the approval process in construction to lower housing costs and speed up infrastructure building, and reforms in the financial sector to boost competition and lower fees for financial services.<ref>http://www.timesofisrael.com/cabinet-passes-state-budget-for-2015-2016/</ref><ref>http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Government-approves-2015-2016-budget-after-marathon-session-411294</ref> In the end, the government was forced to compromise by removing some key agricultural reforms.<ref>http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.686444</ref>

In October 2015, Netanyahu drew widespread criticism for claiming that the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, ], gave Adolf Hitler the idea for the ] in the preceding months to the ], convincing the Nazi leader to exterminate Jews rather than just expel them from Europe.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Netanyahu, Saying Palestinian Mufti Inspired Holocaust, Draws Broad Criticism|url = http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/world/middleeast/netanyahu-saying-palestinian-mufti-inspired-holocaust-draws-broad-criticism.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2015-10-21|access-date = 2015-10-21|issn = 0362-4331|first = Jodi|last = Rudoren}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | last = Richards | first = Victoria | date = 21 October 2015 | title = Benjamin Netanyahu blames Holocaust on Palestinian leader Haj Amin al-Husseini | url = http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/benjamin-netanyahu-blames-holocaust-on-palestinian-leader-haj-amin-al-husseini-a6702091.html | website = independent.co.uk | accessdate = 21 October 2015 }}</ref> This idea is dismissed by mainstream historians,<ref>{{Cite web|title = Netanyahu: Hitler Didn't Want to Exterminate the Jews | url = http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.681525 | website = haaretz.com | date = 21 October 2015 | accessdate = 23 October 2015 }}</ref> who note that al-Husseini's meeting with Hitler took place approximately five months after the mass murder of Jews began.<ref name = "Hatz months before">{{Cite web |last= Aderet |first= Ofer |date= 22 October 2015 |title= Mass murder of Jews in Europe started months before Hitler met mufti, historians say |url= http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.681661 |website= haaretz.com |accessdate= 23 October 2015 }}</ref> Chancellor ] said she did not accept Netanyahu's claims, and reiterated an acceptance of her country's crimes during the Nazi era.<ref>{{Cite web | last = Connolly | first = Kate | date = 21 October 2015 | title = Germany refuses to accept Netanyahu's claim Palestinian inspired Holocaust | url = http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/21/germany-refuses-accept-binjamin-netanyahu-claim-adolf-hitler-holocaust| website = theguardian.com | accessdate = 21 October 2015 }}</ref> Netanyahu later explained that his "aim was not to absolve Hitler from the responsibility he bears, but to show that the father of the Palestinian nation at the time, without a state and before the 'occupation,' without the territories and with the settlements, even then aspired with systemic incitement for the destruction of the Jews."<ref name="Sokol">{{Cite web |last= Sokol |first= Sam |date= 21 October 2015 |title= Netanyahu's Holocaust distortion obscures Mufti's collaboration, say historians |url= http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Netanyahus-Holocaust-distortion-obscures-Muftis-collaboration-say-historians-428670 |website= jpost.com |accessdate= 21 October 2015 }}</ref> Some of the strongest criticism came from Israeli academics: ] said Netanyahu's claim was "completely idiotic",<ref name = "Hatz months before"/> while ] stated that "any attempt to deflect the burden from Hitler to others is a form of ]."<ref>{{Cite web |last= Tate |first= Emily |date= 22 October 2015 |title= Under-fire Netanyahu criticised over 'a form of Holocaust denial' |url= http://www.independent.ie/world-news/middle-east/underfire-netanyahu-criticised-over-a-form-of-holocaust-denial-34130477.html |website= ] |accessdate= 23 October 2015 }}</ref>

In March 2016 Netanyahu's coalition faced a potential crisis as ultra-Orthodox members threatened to withdraw over the government's proposed steps to create non-Orthodox prayer space at the ]. They have stated they will leave the coalition if the government offers any further official state recognition of Conservative and ].<ref>. The Jerusalem Post, March 7, 2016</ref>

== Political positions ==

=== Economic views ===
{{Quote box|width=290px|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|align=right|quote= "You want to have a ]. You want to have initiative, risk, talent, the ability to create new products, new services to be rewarded... It's always been about competition. That's what human progress is about. You want to siphon it into productive ways."|source=Benjamin Netanyahu, ''The Marker'', 2014<ref name="haaretz.com"> By Guy Rolnik, 02:20 11.04.14</ref>}}
Netanyahu has been described as 'the advocate of the free-market'.<ref>''Beyond Regionalism?: Regional Cooperation, Regionalism and Regionalization in the Middle East'', by Cilja Harders, Matteo Legrenzi (Ashgate 2013), page 191</ref> As Prime Minister in his first term, he significantly reformed the banking sector, removing barriers to investment abroad, mandatory purchases of government securities and direct credit. As Minister of Finance (2003–2005), Netanyahu introduced a major overhaul of the Israeli economy. He introduced a welfare to work program, he led a program of privatization, reduced the size of the public sector, reformed and streamlined the taxation system and passed laws against monopolies and cartels with the aim of increasing competition.<ref name="Likud Leaders 2015"/> Netanyahu extended capital gains taxes from companies to individuals, which allowed him to enlarge the tax base while reducing taxes on incomes.<ref>''Arik: The Life of Ariel Sharon'', By David Landau, (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group 2014), Chapter 14</ref> As 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.<ref name="Likud Leaders 2015"/> Direct investment in the Israeli economy had increased by an annualized 380%.<ref> Globes, 26 September 2005, 14:23, Zeev Klein</ref> On the other hand, his critics have labelled his economic views as ]-inspired "popular capitalism".<ref>''The Political Right in Israel: Different Faces of Jewish Populism'', by Dani Filc, (Routledge, 2009), page 65</ref>

Netanyahu defines capitalism as "the ability to have individual initiative and competition to produce goods and services with profit, but not to shut out somebody else from trying to do the same."<ref name="haaretz.com"/> He says that his views developed while he was working as an economic consult for ]: "It was the first time that the Boston Consulting Group looked at governments and worked for governments. They wanted to do a strategic plan for the government of Sweden. I was on that case and looked at other governments. So I went around to other governments in Europe in 1976 and I was looking at Britain. I was looking at France. I was looking at other countries, and I could see that they were stymied by concentrations of power that prevented competition. And I thought, hmm, as bad as they are, ours was worse because we had very little room for private sector competition to the extent that we had government-controlled or union-controlled companies, and so you really didn't get the competition or the growth... And I said, well, if I ever have a chance, I'll change that."<ref name="haaretz.com"/>

=== Views on counter-terrorism ===
{{Quote box|width=290px|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|align=right|quote= "he essence of democratic societies, and that which distinguishes them from dictatorships, is the commitment to resolve conflict in a nonviolent fashion by settling issues through argument and debate... The salient point that has to be underlined again and again is that nothing justifies terrorism, that it is evil per se – that the various real or imagined reasons proffered by the terrorists to justify their actions are meaningless."<br>
– Benjamin Netanyahu, 1995<ref name="Farrar, Straus and Giroux">{{cite book |title=Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism |year=1995 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |isbn=978-0374154929|page =19}}</ref>}}

In addition to having taken part in counter-terrorist operations during his service in the military, Netanyahu has published three books on the subject of fighting terrorism. Netanyahu identifies terrorism as a form of ], writing: "The more far removed the target of the attack from any connection to the grievance enunciated by the terrorists, the greater the terror... Yet for terrorism to have any impact, it is precisely the lack of connection, the lack of any possible involvement or "complicity" of the chosen victims in the cause the terrorists seek to attack, that produces the desired fear. For terrorism's underlying message is that every member of society is "guilty", that anyone can be a victim, and that therefore no one is safe... In fact, the methods reveal the totalitarian strain that runs through all terrorist groups... It is not only that the ends of the terrorists do no succeed in justifying the means they choose; their choice of means indicate what their true ends are. Far from being fighters for freedom, terrorists are the forerunners of tyranny. Terrorists use the techniques of violent coercion in order to achieve a regime of violent coercion."<ref>{{cite book |title=Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism |year=1995 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |isbn=978-0374154929|pages =8–9}}</ref>

Netanyahu cautions that "he trouble with active anti-terror activities... is that they do constitute a substantial intrusion on the lives of those being monitored." He believes there is a balance between civil liberties and security, which should depend on the level of sustained terrorist attacks in a country. During periods of sustained attack, there should be shift towards security, due to "the monstrous violation of personal rights which is the lot of the victims of terror and their famlies".<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book |title=Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism |year=1995 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |isbn=978-0374154929|page =33}}</ref> But this should be regularly reviewed, with an emphasis on guarding civil liberties and individual privacy wherever and whenever security considerations allow:<ref name="ReferenceA"/> "The concern of civil libertarians over possible infringements of the rights of innocent citizens is well placed, and all additional powers granted the security services should require annual renewal by the legislature, this in addition to judicial oversight of actions as they are taken in the field."<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite book |title=Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism |year=1995 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |isbn=978-0374154929|page =142}}</ref>

He advises tighter immigration laws as an essential tool to preemptively combat terrorism: "This era of immigration free-for-all should be brought to an end. An important aspect of taking control of the immigration situation is stricter background checks of potential immigrants, coupled with the real possibility of deportation."<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

He also cautions that it is essential that governments do not conflate terrorists with those legitimate political groups that may or may not hold extremist views, but which advance their positions by means of debate and argument: "Democracies have their share of anti-immigrant or anti-establishment parties, as well as advocates of extreme nationalism or internationalism... hey are often genuinely convinced participants in democracy, accepting its basic ground rules and defending its central tenets. These can and must be distinguished from the tiny splinters at the absolute fringes of democratic society, which may endorse many similar ideas, but use them as a pretext to step outside the rubric of the democratic system".<ref name="Farrar, Straus and Giroux">{{cite book |title=Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism |year=1995 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |isbn=978-0374154929|page =19}}</ref>

In particular, ] was an admirer of Netanyahu's work on counter-terrorism, and Reagan recommended Netanyahu's book ''Terrorism: How the West Can Win'' to all senior figures in his administration.<ref> Vanity Fair, BY DAVID MARGOLICK</ref>

=== LGBT rights ===

Netanyahu supports equal rights before the law for LGBT citizens, stating: "The struggle for every person to be recognized as equal before the law is a long struggle, and there is still a long way to go.... I am proud that Israel is among the most open countries in the world in relation to the LGBT community discourse."<ref> By JPOST.COM STAFF, 6 November 2015, Jerusalem Post</ref><ref> Omri Nahmias
Thursday, 11 June 2015</ref> During an event held for the annual gay community rights day at the Knesset, Netanyahu proclaimed: ”I asked to come here in the middle of my busy schedule to say one thing to the male and female members of the LGBT community: We must be guided by the conviction that every person is created in the image of God."<ref> Publicized: February 23, 2016, Knesset Press Releases</ref>

=== Ethiopian Jewish integration===
]
In 2015, after Ethiopian Jewish protests against police brutality, Netanyahu said: "We will bring a comprehensive plan to the government to assist you in every way. There is no room for racism and discrimination in our society, none... We will turn racism into something contemptible and despicable."<ref> By Judah Ari Gross 17 May 2015, Times of Israel</ref>

=== African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem ===
Netanyahu supports the integration of the ] into Israeli society, and takes part in celebrations in honor of this community's 'exodus' from America to Israel, which occurred in 1967. In 2012, Netanyahu expressed appreciation towards "the cooperative society that is working towards the inclusion of the Hebrew Israelite community in Israeli society at large," and declared that the experience of the community in the land of Israel is "an integral part of the Israeli experience."<ref> Andrew Esensten, Haaretz, 25 May 2012</ref>

=== Oslo Accords ===
Netanyahu opposed the ] from their inception. In 1993, he dedicated a chapter, entitled "Trojan Horse", of his book ''A Place Among the Nations'' to argue against the Oslo Peace Process. He asserted that Amin al-Husseini had been one of the masterminds of the Holocaust, and that Yasser Arafat was heir to the former's 'alleged exterminationist Nazism.' <ref>Michael A. Sells, '' Journal of Religious Ethics,'' Vol. 43, No.4 2015 pp 723–759 p.740.</ref> During his term as prime minister in the late 1990s, Netanyahu consistently reneged on commitments made by previous Israeli governments as part of the Oslo peace process, leading American peace envoy ] to note that "neither President Clinton nor Secretary Albright believed that Bibi had any real interest in pursuing peace."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/09/27/us-jewish-groups-help-make-palestinian-state-impossible.html |title=How U.S. Jews Stymie Peace Talks |last=Beinart |first=Peter |date=27 September 2010 |publisher=The Daily Beast |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref> In a 2001 video, Netanyahu, reportedly unaware he was being recorded, said: "They asked me before the election if I'd honor ," "I said I would, but&nbsp;... I'm going to interpret the accords in such a way that would allow me to put an end to this galloping forward to the '67 borders. How did we do it? Nobody said what defined military zones were. Defined military zones are security zones; as far as I'm concerned, the entire Jordan Valley is a defined military zone. Go argue."<ref name=washingtonpost>{{cite news|title=Netanyahu: 'America is a thing you can move very easily'|author=Glenn Kessler|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=16 July 2010|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkpoint-washington/2010/07/netanyahu_america_is_a_thing_y.html}}</ref>

=== Prior to second term as prime minister ===
] which stated that he would be the strongest choice for ] and ]]]
Netanyahu had previously called U.S.-backed peace talks a waste of time,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/20/AR2009032000694_pf.html|first=Howard|last= Schneider|title=Poll Gives Netanyahu Positive Marks Despite Rift with US|work=The Washington Post|date=20 March 2009|accessdate=20 March 2009}}</ref> while at the same time refusing to commit to the same two-state solution as had other Israeli leaders,<ref>{{cite news |title=Why isn't Netanyahu backing two-state solution? |first=Aluf |last=Benn |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/analysis-why-isn-t-netanyahu-backing-two-state-solution-1.271126 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=1 March 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> until a speech in June 2009. He repeatedly made public statements which advocated an "economic peace" approach, meaning an approach based on economic cooperation and joint effort rather than continuous contention over political and diplomatic issues. This is in line with many significant ideas from the ].<ref name="haaretz 11-21-08">{{cite news |title=Netanyahu: Economics, not politics, is the key to peace |first=Raphael |last=Ahren |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/netanyahu-economics-not-politics-is-the-key-to-peace-1.257617 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=20 November 2008 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> He raised these ideas during discussions with former U.S. Secretary of State ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu offers new peace vision |first=Roni |last=Sofer |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3619204,00.html |newspaper=Ynetnews |date=7 November 2008 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> Netanyahu continued to advocate these ideas as the Israeli elections approached.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/israel/article/netanyahu_holds_big_lead_in_prime_minister_race_polls_20090202/|first=Leslie|last= Susser|title=Netanyahu Holds Big Lead in Prime Minister Race Polls|publisher=The Jewish Journal|date=2 February 2009|accessdate=11 July 2009}}</ref> Netanyahu has said:

<blockquote> Right now, the peace talks are based on only one thing, only on peace talks. It makes no sense at this point to talk about the most contractible issue. It's Jerusalem or bust, or right of return or bust. That has led to failure and is likely to lead to failure again&nbsp;... We must weave an economic peace alongside a political process. That means that we have to strengthen the moderate parts of the Palestinian economy by handing rapid growth in those areas, rapid economic growth that gives a stake for peace for the ordinary Palestinians."<ref name="haaretz 11-21-08"/></blockquote>

In January 2009, prior to the February 2009 Israeli elections Netanyahu informed Middle East envoy Tony Blair that he would continue the policy of the Israeli governments of Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert by expanding settlements in the ], in contravention of the Road Map, but not building new ones.<ref>{{cite news |title=Likud allow settlement expansion |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7851140.stm |newspaper=BBC News |date=26 January 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref>

=== Bar-Ilan speech ===
On 14 June 2009, Netanyahu delivered a seminal address<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/full-text-of-netanyahu-s-foreign-policy-speech-at-bar-ilan-1.277922|title=Full text of Binyamin Netanyahu's Bar Ilan speech|date=15 June 2009|publisher=]|accessdate=15 June 2009}}</ref> at ] (also known as the "Bar-Ilan speech"), at ], that was broadcast live in Israel and across parts of the ], on the topic of the ]. He endorsed for the first time the notion of a ] alongside Israel.<ref name=lays/> Netanyahu's speech could be viewed in part as a response to Obama's ]. '']'' claimed that Obama's words had "resonated through Jerusalem's corridors".<ref>{{cite news|publisher=]|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3726367,00.html|title=Ministers split over Obama's Cairo speech|date=4 June 2009|accessdate=19 June 2009}}</ref>

As part of his proposal, Netanyahu demanded the full demilitarization of the proposed state, with no army, rockets, missiles, or control of its airspace, and said that Jerusalem would be ]. He stated that the Palestinians should recognize Israel as the Jewish national state with an undivided Jerusalem. He rejected a ] for Palestinian refugees, saying, "any demand for resettling Palestinian refugees within Israel undermines Israel's continued existence as the state of the Jewish people." He also stated that a complete stop to ] in the ], as required by the 2003 ] peace proposal, was not possible and the expansions will be limited based on the "natural growth" of the population, including immigration, with no new territories taken in. Nevertheless, Netanyahu affirmed that he accepted the Road Map proposal.<ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu's speech: Yes to road map, no to settlement freeze |first1=Barak |last1=Ravid |first2=Aluf |last2=Benn |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/netanyahu-s-speech-yes-to-road-map-no-to-settlement-freeze-1.277711 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=11 June 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> He did not discuss whether or not the settlements should be part of Israel after peace negotiations, simply stating that the "question will be discussed".<ref name=lays>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu wants demilitarized PA state |first=Herb |last=Keinon |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=145486 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |date=14 June 2009 |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref>

In a response to U.S. President ]'s statements in his Cairo speech, Netanyahu remarked, "there are those who say that if the Holocaust had not occurred, the State of Israel would never have been established. But I say that if the State of Israel would have been established earlier, the Holocaust would not have occurred." He also said, "this is the homeland of the Jewish people, this is where our identity was forged." He stated that he would be willing to meet with any "Arab leader" for negotiations without preconditions, specifically mentioning ], Saudi Arabia, and ].<ref name=lays/> In general, the address represented a new position for Netanyahu's government on the ].<ref name=huff/>

Some right-wing members of Netanyahu's governing coalition criticized his remarks for the creation of a Palestinian State; believing that all of the land should become under Israeli sovereignty. ] ] ] said that Netanyahu went "against the Likud platform",<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3731827,00.html|title=Netanyahu defends speech to party hardliners|last=Sofer|first=Roni|date=15 June 2009|publisher=]|accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref> while ] ] of ] said that it had "dangerous implications".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3731290,00.html|title=Likud members say PM gave in to US pressure|date=14 June 2009|publisher=]|accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref> Opposition party ] leader ] remarked after the address that she thinks Netanyahu does not really believe in the ] at all; she thought that he only said what he did as a feigned response to international pressure.<ref name=Livni>{{cite news |title=Livni: Netanyahu doesn't believe in two-state solution |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/livni-netanyahu-doesn-t-believe-in-two-state-solution-1.279472 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=7 July 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> ] criticized the speech, highlighting that, in the group's opinion, it did not address the Palestinians as equal partners in the peace process. The Secretary General of ], Yariv Oppenheimer, said, "It's a rerun of Netanyahu from his first term".<ref>{{cite news|publisher=] |title=Peace Now Response to Bibi Netanyahu's Speech |url=http://www.fmep.org/analysis/analysis/peace-now-response-to-bibi-netanyahus-speech |date=15 June 2009 |accessdate=8 July 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/20130923183725/http://www.fmep.org/analysis/analysis/peace-now-response-to-bibi-netanyahus-speech |archivedate=23 September 2013 }}</ref>

On 9 August 2009, speaking at the opening of government meeting Netanyahu repeated his claims from the Palestinians: "We want an agreement with two factors, the first of which is the recognition of Israel as the national state of the Jewish people and (the second of which is) a security settlement".<ref name=sofer/>

==== Arab reaction ====
Netanyahu's "Bar-Ilan speech" provoked mixed reaction from the international community.<ref name="rfi">{{cite news|url=http://www.rfi.fr/actuen/articles/114/article_4023.asp|title=Netanyahu speech provokes mix of international reactions|date=15 June 2009|publisher=]|accessdate=16 September 2009}}</ref> The ] rejected the conditions on a Palestinian State given by Netanyahu. Senior official ] said, "Netanyahu's speech closed the door to permanent status negotiations". ] spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said it reflected a "racist and extremist ideology"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3731300,00.html|title=Hamas slams Netanyahu's 'racist, extremist' ideology |date=14 June 2009|work=]|accessdate=11 August 2009}}</ref> and called on Arab nations to "form stronger opposition".<ref name=huff>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/14/netanyahu-peace-speech-is_n_215337.html|title=Netanyahu Peace Speech: Israeli Prime Minister Appeals To Arab Leaders For Peace|date=14 June 2009|accessdate=14 June 2009|first=Josef|last=Federman|work=The Huffington Post}}</ref> ] labeled it "misleading" and, like ], demanded stronger opposition to Israel from Arab nations.<ref name=xin>{{cite news|publisher=Xinhua News Agency|title=Netanyahu's speech vexes Arabs|author1=Muhammad Yamany|author2=Chen Gongzheng| url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/16/content_11548122.htm|date=15 June 2009|accessdate=16 June 2009}}</ref> According to ], some leaders advocated a third intifada in response to the speech.<ref name=lays/> The ] dismissed the address, declaring in a statement that "Arabs would not make concessions regarding issues of Jerusalem and refugees" and that "we know his history and style of evasion", adding that the Arab League would not recognize Israel as a Jewish state.<ref name=xin/> Referring to Netanyahu's demand that Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people, Egypt's president ] remarked, "You won't find anyone to answer that call in Egypt, or in any other place." Issuing a less blunt response, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that the speech was "not complete" and that it hoped for another, "different Israeli proposal which is built on the commitment to the two-state solution".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/15/palestinians-condemn-neta_n_215527.html|title=Palestinians Condemn Netanyahu Speech (VIDEO)|date=15 June 2009|accessdate=15 June 2009|first=Stewart|last=Whatley|work=The Huffington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/syria-netanyahu-s-policy-has-everything-but-peace-1.278102 | title=Syria: Netanyahu's policy has everything but peace | work=Haaretz | date=15 June 2009 | accessdate=<!-- 26 May 2011 --> }}</ref> ] condemned the speech and wrote that "Netanyahu has confirmed that he rejects the Arab peace initiative for peace along with all the initiatives and resolutions of the Security Council to relative peace."<ref name=rfi/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=145545|title=PM calls Mubarak to clarify stance|date=16 June 2009|work=]|accessdate=17 June 2012}}</ref> Lebanese President ] called for unity among Arab leaders, saying that "Arab leaders should be more united and preserve the spirit of resistance to face the Israeli stands regarding the peace process and the Palestinian refugee issue." He called on the international community to exert more pressure on the Israeli government to accept the Arab Peace Initiative, as he said Israel still has a will of military confrontation which can be proved in its offensives on Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.<ref name=xin/> Jordanian Minister of State for Media affairs and Communications, and Government spokesperson Nabil Sharif issued a statement saying "The ideas presented by Netanyahu do not live up to what was agreed on by the international community as a starting point for achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region."<ref name=xin/>

==== Iranian reaction ====
Former Iranian president ] referred to the speech as "bad news".<ref name=rfi/>

==== Western reaction ====
The ], which held the presidency of the European Union, praised Netanyahu's address. "In my view, this is a step in the right direction. The acceptance of a Palestinian state was present there," said Czech Foreign Minister ], whose country held the EU's six-month presidency at the time of the speech.<ref name="eu1">{{cite news |title=EU gives cautious welcome to Netanyahu speech |first=Mark |last=John |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/2009/06/15/idINIndia-40333120090615 |newspaper=Reuters |date=15 June 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> President ]'s ], ], said that the speech was an "important step forward".<ref name=xin /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/14/white-house-reacts-to-netanyahus-speech/|title=White House reacts to Netanyahu's speech|date=14 June 2009 | publisher=CNN}}</ref> President Obama stated that "this solution can and must ensure both Israel's security and the Palestinians' legitimate aspirations for a viable state".<ref name=rfi/> Swedish Foreign Minister ] stated that "the fact that he uttered the word state is a small step forward". He added that "whether what he mentioned can be defined as a state is a subject of some debate".<ref name=rfi/><ref name=eu1/> France praised the speech but called on Israel to cease building settlements in the West Bank. French Foreign Minister ] stated that "I can only welcome the prospect of a Palestinian state outlined by the Israeli Prime Minister."<ref name=rfi/><ref name=eu1/> The ] called the speech "a sign of readiness for dialogue" but said that "it does not open up the road to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian problem. The conditions on the Palestinians would be unacceptable."<ref name=rfi/>

=== Stalled peace talks ===
In 2013, Netanyahu denied reports that his government would agree to peace talks on the basis of the green line.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Israel-agrees-to-peace-talks-based-on-67-lines-320250 |title=Netanyahu denies agreeing to peace talks based on '67 lines. |publisher=Jpost.com |date=18 July 2013 |deadurl=no |accessdate=31 January 2014}}</ref> In 2014 he agreed to the American framework based on the green line and said that Jewish settlers must be allowed the option of staying in their settlements under Palestinian rule.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/israeli-official-palestine-should-allow-settlers |title=Israeli official: Palestine should allow settlers |last1=Heller |first1=Aron |date=26 January 2014 |agency=Associated Press |accessdate=26 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Netanyahu-says-he-agreed-to-US-proposal-for-talks-with-Palestinians-based-on-67-lines-377983 |title=Netanyahu says he agreed to US proposal for talks with Palestinians based on '67 lines |date=3 October 2014 |website=www.jpost.com |publisher=Jpost Inc. |accessdate=2 October 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/20141003024210/http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Netanyahu-says-he-agreed-to-US-proposal-for-talks-with-Palestinians-based-on-67-lines-377983 |archivedate=3 October 2014 }}</ref>

Palestinian negotiator, ] criticized Netanyahu, calling him "ideology corrupt" and a war criminal.<ref name="Saeb">{{citation|title=Top Palestinian negotiator rips into 'discredited, useless' Abbas|publisher=The Times of Israel|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/top-palestinian-official-recorded-upbraiding-mistaken-abbas/#ixzz39erFi2Ou|author=Elhanan Miller|date=12 June 2014}}</ref>

=== Unilateral withdrawals ===
On 9 August 2009, speaking at the opening of his weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu promised not to repeat the "mistake" of the ], saying, "We will not repeat this mistake. We will not create new evacuees", and adding that "the unilateral evacuation brought neither peace nor security. On the contrary", and that "We want an agreement with two factors, the first of which is the recognition of Israel as the national state of the Jewish people and a security settlement. In the case of Gaza, both of these factors were lacking". He also said, "Should we achieve a turn toward peace with the more moderate partners, we will insist on the recognition of the State of Israel and the demilitarization of the future Palestinian state".<ref name=sofer>{{cite news |last= Sofer|first=Roni|title= Netanyahu vows not to repeat 'mistake' of Gaza pullout |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3759065,00.html |publisher=] |date=9 August 2009 |accessdate=9 August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu: I won't repeat Gaza evacuation mistake |first=Barak |last=Ravid |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/netanyahu-i-won-t-repeat-gaza-evacuation-mistake-1.281670 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=9 August 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> In October 2014, Netanyahu said "We don't just hand over territory, close our eyes and hope for the best. We did that in Lebanon and we got thousands of rockets. We did that in Gaza, we got Hamas and 15,000 rockets. So we're not gonna just replicate that. We want to see genuine recognition of the Jewish state and rock solid security arrangements on the ground. That's the position I've held, and it's only become firmer."<ref>Dovid Efune, , ''Algemeiner Journal'', 6 October 2014.</ref>

=== Iran ===
{{See also|Iran–Israel relations|List of United Nations resolutions concerning Iran}}
In an 8 March 2007 interview with ], opposition leader Netanyahu asserted that there is only one difference between Nazi Germany and the Islamic Republic of Iran, namely that the first entered a worldwide conflict and then sought atomic weapons, while the latter is first seeking atomic weapons and, once it has them, will then start a world war. Netanyahu repeated these remarks at a news conference in April 2008.<ref name=Haaretz16042008>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/975574.html|title=Report: Netanyahu says 9/11 terror attacks good for Israel|work=]|date=16 April 2008|accessdate=29 July 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/66nQcl1gX | archivedate=9 April 2012}}</ref> This was similar to earlier remarks that "...&nbsp;it's 1938, and Iran is Germany, and Iran is racing to arm itself with ]".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/787766.html|first=Peter |last= Hirschberg|title=Netanyahu: It's 1938 and Iran is Germany; Ahmadinejad is preparing another Holocaust|work=]|date=14 November 2006|accessdate=29 July 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/66nPeMnKz |archivedate=9 April 2012}}</ref>

On 20 February 2009, after being asked to be the prime minister of Israel, Netanyahu described Iran as the greatest threat that Israel has ever faced: "Iran is seeking to obtain a nuclear weapon and constitutes the gravest threat to our existence since the war of independence."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5774240.ece|title=Binyamin Netanyahu targets Iran after he is appointed Prime Minister|last1=Byers|first1=David|author2=Hider, James|date=20 February 2009|work=The Times |location=London |accessdate=24 September 2009 }}</ref> Speaking before the UN General Assembly in New York on 24 September 2009, Netanyahu expressed a different opinion than Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at the forum, saying those who believe Tehran is a threat only to Israel are wrong. "The Iranian regime", he said, "is motivated by fanaticism&nbsp;... They want to see us go back to medieval times. The struggle against Iran pits civilization against barbarism. This Iranian regime is fueled by extreme fundamentalism."<ref name=un-1/><ref name=un-2/> "By focusing solely on Iran," columnist ] speculated that Netanyahu's foreign policy, "...&nbsp;took the Palestinian issue off the world agenda." After four days of shelling from the Iranian-funded ], Melman asked, "Is it worth initiating a crisis with Iran? Will the Israeli public be able to cope with Iran's response?"<ref name="Tab 15Mar2012">{{cite news |url=http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/94134/under-fire/ |title=Under Fire |first=Yossi |last=Melman |date=15 March 2012 |newspaper=Tablet |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref> According to ], a ] ] and the ex-director of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission, Benjamin Netanyahu is using the threat of atomic Iran as a means of reaching his own goals. Directly blaming Netanyahu, he said: "Netanyahu is using the Iranian threat to achieve a variety of political objectives." He also said: "These declarations are unnecessarily scaring Israel's citizens, given Israel is not party to the negotiations to determine whether Iran will or will not dismantle its nuclear program."<ref name="Ynet">{{cite news|last1=Bergman|first1=Ronen|title=Ex-atomic agency chief: Netanyahu using scare tactics on Iran nuclear program|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4517536,00.html|accessdate=15 February 2016|work=Ynet News}}</ref>

] ], Netanyahu holds an Iranian instruction manual for the ] captured in ], March 2011]]
By 2012, Netanyahu is reported to have formed a close, confidential relationship with Defense Minister ] as the two men consider possible Israeli military action against Iran's nuclear facilities,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/28/world/middleeast/netanyahu-and-barak-bond-over-israels-iran-crisis.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all |title=2 Israeli Leaders Make the Iran Issue Their Own |last=Bonner |first=Ethan |publisher=New York Times |date=28 March 2012 |accessdate=28 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/R42443.pdf |title=Israel: Possible Strike Against Iran's Nuclear Facilities |publisher=] |date=28 September 2012 |accessdate=2 October 2012}}</ref> following Israel's established ]. The pair were accused of acting on "messianic" impulses by Yuval Diskin, former head of the ], who added that their warmongering rhetoric appealed to "the idiots within the Israeli public".<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-intelligence-chief-diskin-says-netanyahu-barak-not-fit-to-lead-israel-and-wrong-on-iran/ |title= Netanyahu, Barak 'not fit to lead Israel' and wrong on Iran |last= Shmulovich |first= Michael |date= 28 April 2012 |newspaper= The Times of Israel |accessdate=29 April 2012 }}</ref> Diskin's remarks were supported by former Mossad chief Meir Dagan,<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.timesofisrael.com/olmert-opposes-iran-strike/ |title= Olmert opposes strike on Iranian nuclear program |date= 25 April 2012 |agency= Associated Press |newspaper= ] |accessdate=30 April 2012 |quote= Meir Dagan, Israel's ex-Mossad chief, told the station he supported Diskin. }}</ref> who himself had previously said that an attack on Iran was "the stupidest thing I have ever heard".<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/former-mossad-chief-israel-air-strike-on-iran-stupidest-thing-i-have-ever-heard-1.360367 |title= Former Mossad chief: Israel air strike on Iran 'stupidest thing I have ever heard' |author= Yossi Melman |date= 7 May 2011 |newspaper= ] |accessdate=28 April 2012 }}</ref> A few weeks later, the ] (a leading American think-tank that advises the ]) also openly disagreed with Netanyahu's belligerent stance: "In doing so, and without naming names, RAND sided with former Mossad chief Meir Dagan and former head of the Shin Bet Yuval Diskin."<ref>{{cite news |title=Top U.S. think tank warns against Israeli, American strike on Iran |first=Amir |last=Oren |url=http://www.haaretz.com/misc/iphone-article/top-u-s-think-tank-warns-against-israeli-american-strike-on-iran.premium-1.430697 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=16 May 2012 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref>

Early in 2012, he used the opening ceremony for Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day to warn against the dangers of an Iranian nuclear bomb, saying he was following the example of Jewish leaders during World War II who struggled to raise the alarm about the Nazis' genocidal intentions.<ref name = "SaSe 18Apr2012">{{cite news |url= http://www.timesofisrael.com/warning-of-iranian-threat-is-the-best-way-to-honor-holocaust-victims/ |title= PM: 'Warning of Iranian threat is best way to honor Holocaust victims{{'-}} |last= Ser |first= Sam |date= 18 April 2012 |newspaper= The Times of Israel |accessdate=18 April 2012 }}</ref> Israeli academic ] accused Netanyahu of showing "contempt" for the Holocaust by putting it to "political use",<ref name="AC 19Mar2012">{{cite news |url= http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/netanyahu-s-contempt-for-the-holocaust-1.419462 |title= Netanyahu's contempt for the Holocaust |author= Avner Cohen |authorlink= Avner Cohen |date= 19 March 2012 |newspaper= ] |accessdate=31 March 2012 }}</ref> and former Israeli foreign minister ] similarly condemned Netanyahu's "vulgar manipulation of the memory of the Holocaust".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/iran-s-nuclear-grass-eaters |title= Iran's Nuclear Grass Eaters |author= Shlomo Ben-Ami |date= 4 April 2012 |publisher= Project Syndicate |accessdate=5 April 2012 }}</ref> Immediately after the ], Netanyahu confirmed that the attack had been undertaken in coordination with Iran.<ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu: Hezbollah, directed by Iran, carried out Burgas terror attack |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-hezbollah-directed-by-iran-carried-out-burgas-terror-attack/ |newspaper=The Times of Israel |date=19 July 2012 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref>

Netanyahu stated during a 29 July meeting that, in his opinion, "all the sanctions and diplomacy so far have not set back the Iranian programme by one iota."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/30-Jul-2012/iran-unmoved-by-curbs-says-netanyahu|publisher=''The Pakistani Nation''|date=30 July 2012|accessdate=30 July 2012|title=Iran unmoved by curbs, says Netanyahu}}</ref> And in August he stated that the United States only might respond to a massive attack against Israel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/diplomania/netanyahu-if-israel-attacks-iran-i-will-take-responsibility-for-the-consequences-1.455853 |title=Netanyahu: If Israel attacks Iran, I will take responsibility for the consequences |last=Ravid |first=Barak |date=3 August 2012 |publisher=Haaretz |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref> On 28 September 2012, Netanyahu gave a speech to the UN General Assembly in which he set forward a "red line" of 90% uranium enrichment, stating that if Iran were to reach this level, it would become an intolerable risk for Israel.<ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu: Red Line is when Iran Reaches 90% of Enriched Uranium |first=Gil |last=Ronen |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/160353 |newspaper=Arutz Sheva |date=27 September 2012 |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> Netanyahu used a cartoon graphic of a bomb to illustrate his point, indicating three stages of uranium enrichment, noting that Iran had already completed the first stage, and stating that "By next spring, at most by next summer at current enrichment rates, will have finished the medium enrichment and move on to the final stage. From there, it's only a few months, possibly a few weeks before they get enough enriched uranium for the first bomb." Netanyahu delivered his speech the day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, a presentation that the American, Canadian, and Israeli delegations had deliberately not attended.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/iranian_president_mahmoud_ahmadinejad_DXf1O2jwAyigpohPdmdgTO|date=26 September 2012|accessdate=28 September 2012|title=Ahmadinejad blasts US, Israel in UN speech boycotted by Western diplomats|work=New York Post}}</ref> At the time, according to cables leaked in 2015, Mossad's assessment was that Iran did not appear ready to enrich uranium to levels required for a nuclear bomb.<ref>Seumas Milne, Ewen MacAskill and Clayton Swisher, ] 23 February 2015.</ref>

In an October 2013 interview with BBC Persian Service, Netanyahu praised the history of Persia and said: "if the Iranian regime has nuclear weapons, the Iranian people will never be free of dictatorship and will live in eternal servitude."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.netanyahu.org.il/en/news/686-pm-netanyahu-is-interviewed-for-the-first-time-in-the-persian-language-media|date=3 October 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007122509/http://netanyahu.org.il/en/news/686-pm-netanyahu-is-interviewed-for-the-first-time-in-the-persian-language-media|archivedate=7 October 2013|title=PM Netanyahu is Interviewed for the First Time in the Persian-language Media |work=The Prime Minister of Israel Official Website}}</ref>

=== Jonathan Pollard ===
Netanyahu repeatedly and unsuccessfully called for the early release of ], an American serving a life sentence for passing secret U.S. documents to Israel in 1987.<ref name=nydn>{{Dead link|date=January 2015}}</ref> He raised the issue at the ] Summit in 1998, where he claimed that U.S. President Bill Clinton had privately agreed to release Pollard; Clinton denied the assertion.<ref>Ross, Dennis. ''Statecraft: And How to Restore America's Standing in the World''. 2008, page 213</ref><ref>Clinton, Bill. ''My Life: The Presidential Years''. 2005, page 468</ref> In 2002, Netanyahu visited Pollard at his ] prison.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.netanyahu.org/forpmnetvisp.html |title=Former PM Netanyahu Visits Pollard in Prison |publisher=Netanyahu.org |accessdate=27 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Mozgovaya |first=Natasha |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-to-formally-call-for-release-of-convicted-spy-jonathan-pollard-1.331860 |title=Netanyahu to formally call for release of convicted spy Jonathan Pollard – Haaretz Daily Newspaper &#124; Israel News |work=Haaretz |location=Israel |accessdate=27 October 2011}}</ref> The Israeli Prime Minister maintained contact with Pollard's wife, and was active in pressing the Obama administration to release Pollard.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gordon |first=Evelyn |url=http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=221407 |title=Netanyahu reassures Esther Pollar&nbsp;... JPost – Diplomacy & Politics |work=Jerusalem Post |date=19 May 2011 |accessdate=27 October 2011}}</ref><ref name=lettertoobama>{{cite web|last=Lis |first=Jonathan |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/netanyahu-s-plea-to-obama-release-jonathan-pollard-1.335262 |title=Netanyahu's plea to Obama: Release Jonathan Pollard – Haaretz Daily Newspaper &#124; Israel News |work=Haaretz |location=Israel |date=9 November 2010 |accessdate=27 October 2011}}</ref>

In July 2015, the U.S. Parole Commission issued a Notice of Action granting parole to Pollard. Pollard, who was branded as a traitor in the U.S. but considered a hero in Israel, was released in November 2015, almost thirty years from the day when he was arrested.<ref>{{cite news|title=Full Statement From Jonathan Pollard's Attornies |url=http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/330495/full-statement-from-jonathan-pollards-attorneys.html}}</ref> Netanyahu reportedly insisted his cabinet avoid talking publicly about Pollard to avoid annoying President Obama while Pollard seeks permission to emigrate to Israel.<ref> The Washington Post, 20 Nov 2015</ref>

=== Bank of China terror financing case ===

In 2013, Netanyahu found himself caught between conflicting commitments made to the family of American terror victim ] and the Government of China. Although Netanyahu was reported to have previously promised U.S. Representative ] that Israel would fully cooperate in the terror-financing case against Bank of China in U.S. District Court, the prime minister reportedly made a conflicting promise to the Government of China prior to a state visit to China in May 2013.<ref name=slate>{{cite web|last=Loeffler|first=James| url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/02/wultz_vs_bank_of_china_daniel_wultz_parents_attempt_to_use_domestic_courts.html | title=Uncivil Damages: American victims of terrorism are suing a Chinese bank. Israel is trying to stop them – Slate |work=Slate.com |location=New York |date=13 February 2014 |accessdate=13 February 2014}}</ref> Attorney ], lead counsel for the Wultz family, told the Wall Street Journal, "While we are respectful of China's interests, and of the diplomatic pressure to which Israel has been subjected, those interests and that pressure cannot be permitted to obstruct the ability of American courts to hear critical evidence."<ref name=davidboies>{{cite news|last=Balmer |first=Crispian |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/17/israel-china-case-idUSL6N0JW2EQ20131217 | title=U.S. court urged to reject Israeli attempt to silence witness – Reuters |work=Reuters |location=Jerusalem |date=17 December 2014 |accessdate=17 December 2014}}</ref><ref name=arutzsheva>{{cite web|last= |first= |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/170191#.U2bwZK1kE9Y| title=Families Urge PM: Don’t Give Into Terror – Arutz Sheva |work=Arutz Sheva |location=Miami |date=23 July 2013 |accessdate=17 July 2013}}</ref>

In August 2013, Ros-Lehtinen, chair of the House Middle East and South Asia subcommittee, told the ''Miami Herald'' she raised the issue while leading a congressional delegation to Israel, stressing to Israeli officials the importance of them providing the Wultz family what they need for their lawsuit.<ref name=miamiherald>{{cite web|last=Benn |first=Evan |url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/22/3580282/weston-family-faces-frustration.html |title=Weston family faces frustration of court fight after grief of terror bombing – Miami Herald |work=Miami Herald |location=Miami |date=22 August 2013 |accessdate=22 August 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/20130823013443/http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/22/3580282/weston-family-faces-frustration.html |archivedate=23 August 2013 }}</ref> "I am hopeful that we can bring this case to a conclusion that is satisfactory to the family, but we need community support to not waver at this critical time," Ros-Lehtinen said.<ref name=miamiherald/>

U.S. Representative ], chair of the ], also spoke out on the issue with the ''Miami Herald'': "In South Florida, we all know too well of the tragic circumstances surrounding the cowardly terrorist attack that took ] innocent life. I have been working, hand in hand with the Wultz family and the state of Israel to ensure any and all of those involved in this terrorist activity, including the Bank of China, pay for their crimes so that justice can be served."<ref name=miamiherald/>

=== Defense and security ===
] missile defense system during ]]]
In 2011, Netanyahu arranged for 1000 Hamas and Fatah prisoners to be ] for ], including terrorists with "blood on their hands."<ref>{{cite news |title=Hamas: Israel Crossed its Own Red Lines |first=Gabe |last=Kahn |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/148897 |newspaper=Arutz Sheva |date=18 October 2011 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> Israeli officials estimate that 60% of those who are released "resume terrorism attacks".<ref>{{cite news |title=Gilad Shalit Release: Israel's Joy Tempered by Memories of an Intifadeh |first=Karl |last=Vick |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2097192,00.html |newspaper=Time |date=18 October 2011 |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref>

In 2011, Israeli General Staff concluded that the armed forces cannot maintain their battle readiness under Netanyahu's proposed cuts.<ref>Harel, Amos. ''Haaretz Newspaper'', 11 October 2011.</ref> However Netanyahu decided to cut social programs instead, and promised to increase the defense budget by about six percent.<ref>{{cite news |title=Netanyahu decides not to cut Israel's defense budget in 2012 |first=Moti |last=Bassok |url=http://www.haaretz.com/business/netanyahu-decides-not-to-cut-israel-s-defense-budget-in-2012-1.403639 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=26 December 2011 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Israel to increase defence budget by $700m |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/01/20121961921721933.html |newspaper=Al Jazeera English |date=9 January 2012 |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref> In spite of this, the Israeli military still fell NIS 3.7&nbsp;million short from its projected budget, which could damage their war capabilities.<ref>Harel, Amos. ''Haaretz Newspaper''. 12 February 2012.</ref> According to a U.S. State Department representative in November 2011, under the leadership of Netanyahu and Obama, Israel and the United States have enjoyed unprecedented security cooperation.<ref>Shapiro, Andrew J. U.S. State Department, 4 November 2011.</ref>

Under Netanyahu's leadership, the Israeli ] has seen an expanded role in foreign policy planning and decision-making.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/inside-israels-white-house-how-netanyahu-runs-the-country/|title=Inside Israel's White House: How Netanyahu runs the country|author=Haviv Rettig Gur|date=6 January 2014|work=]|accessdate=6 January 2014}}</ref>

===Illegal immigration===
In 2012 the Netanyahu government passed the "Prevention of Infiltration Law", which mandated automatic detention of all people, including asylum-seekers, who enter Israel without permission. Amnesty International called it "an affront to international law."<ref>{{cite web |date=8 October 2012 |url=http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/10/28/israel-asylum-seekers-blocked-border |title=Israel: Asylum Seekers Blocked at Border |publisher=] |accessdate=16 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=10 January 2012 |url=http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/new-israeli-detention-law-violates-asylum-seekers-rights-2012-01-10 |title=Israel: New detention law violates rights of asylum-seekers |publisher=] |accessdate=16 September 2014}}</ref> Between 2009 and 2013, approximately 60,000 people crossed into Israel from various African countries.<ref>{{cite news |title=Israel to jail illegal migrants for up to three years |first=Allyn |last=Fisher-Ilan |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/06/03/uk-israel-immigrants-idUKBRE8520DX20120603 |newspaper=Reuters |date=3 June 2012 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> Netanyahu said that, "this phenomenon is very grave and threatens the social fabric of society, our national security and our national identity."<ref>"". ''The Guardian.'' 20 May 2012.</ref> Many of these migrants are held in ] in the Negev desert.<ref>"". '']''. 4 April 2014.</ref> When the Supreme Court of Israel declared the "Prevention of Infiltration Law" illegal for permitting immediate and indefinite detention of asylum seekers from Africa, Netanyahu requested new legislation to work around the Supreme Court ruling.<ref> Haaretz, 10 October 2014</ref>

== Personal life ==

=== Family ===
{{family tree/start|align=center}}
{{family tree | | | | | | | NM |y| SL |NM=]<br />(1879–1935)<br />''Writer, ] activist'' |SL=Sarah Lurie}}
{{family tree | | | | | | | |,|-|^|-|.}}
{{family tree | | | TS |y| BN | | EN |y| SS |TS=Tzila Segal<br />(1912–2000) |BN=]<br />(1910–2012)<br />''Historian'' |EN=]<br />(1912–1986)<br />''Mathematician'' |SS=]<br />(1923–)<br />''] justice''}}
{{family tree | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.| | | |!}}
{{family tree | YN | | BN | | IN | | NN |YN=]<br />(1946–1976)<br />''Military Commander'' |BN='''Benjamin Netanyahu'''<br />(1949–)<br />'']'' |IN=]<br />(1952–)<br />''Physician, playwright'' |NN=]<br />(1951–)<br />''Computer scientist''}}
{{family tree/end}}

Netanyahu comes from a highly accomplished family. Related to Rabbi ] (the Vilna Gaon) on his paternal side,<ref>{{cite book|last=Tidhar|first=David|title=Entsiklopediyah le-halutse ha-yishuv u-vonav|location=Tel-Aviv|year=1947|page=v.1, pp.186–187}}</ref> Netanyahu was born in ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.netanyahu.org/biography.html|title=Biography: Benjamin Netanyahu|publisher=Likud website|accessdate=15 September 2009}}</ref> to Prof. ] (original name Mileikowsky) and Tzila (Cela; née Segal). His mother was born in 1912 in ], part of the future ] that eventually became ]. Though all his grandparents were born in the ] (now ], Lithuania and Poland), his mother's parents emigrated to ] in the United States.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ronn |first=J. Michoel |title=The Dworskys of Lazdei: The History of a Lithuanian Jewish family from the mid-1700s until the Present |location=Brooklyn, NY |year=1990 |url=http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009184440 |deadurl=no |accessdate=31 January 2014}}</ref>
] ] on the first night in the ] in ] with his wife, ] and their sons, Yair and Avner, 1996]]

Netanyahu's father, ], was a professor of ] at ],<ref>{{cite news|last=Brand |first=David |title=Lehman leads CU group into the desert to promote education – and peace |url=http://www.news.cornell.edu/features/BTR/BTR_cover.html |publisher=] |date=9 March 2004 |accessdate=5 August 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/20080718210043/http://www.news.cornell.edu/features/BTR/BTR_cover.html |archivedate=18 July 2008 }}</ref> editor of the ], and a senior aide to ], who remained active in research and writing into his nineties. Regarding the ], he stated: "That they won't be able to face the war with us, which will include withholding food from Arab cities, preventing education, terminating electrical power and more. They won't be able to exist, and they will run away from here. But it all depends on the war, and whether we will win the battles with them."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART1/874/524.html |script-title=he:אביו של נתניהו: הוא לא היה רה"מ מוצלח |date=2 April 2009 |publisher=Maariv |language=Hebrew |accessdate=19 March 2013}}</ref> Netanyahu has dismissed those who note similarities between his relentlessly hawkish views and those of his late father as "psychobabble". For example, David Remnick has written: "To understand Bibi, you have to understand the father."<ref name = "NYT obit">{{cite news |url= http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/world/middleeast/benzion-netanyahu-dies-at-102.html |title= Benzion Netanyahu, Hawkish Scholar, Dies at 102 |last= Martin |first= Douglas |date= 30 April 2012 |publisher= NYTimes.com |accessdate=1 May 2012 }}</ref>

Netanyahu's paternal grandfather was ], a leading Zionist rabbi and ] fundraiser.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://zoa.makeitallwork.com/2009/04/102450-the-maggid-of-netanyahu/ |title=The Maggid of Netanyahu |last=Alpert |first=Zalman |date=29 April 2009 |publisher=Zionist Organization of America |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> Netanyahu's older brother, ], was killed in ] during ] in 1976. His younger brother, ], is a radiologist and writer. All three brothers served in the ] reconnaissance unit of the ].

=== Marriages and relationships ===
Netanyahu has been married three times. Netanyahu's first marriage was to Miriam Weizmann, whom he met in Israel. Weizmann lived near Yonatan Netanyahu's apartment in Jerusalem, where Netanyahu was based during his military service. By the time Netanyahu's service was finished, Weizmann had completed her own military service and a degree in chemistry from the ]. In 1972, they both left to study in the United States, where she enrolled in ], while Netanyahu studied at MIT. They married soon afterward. The couple had one daughter, Noa (born 29 April 1978).

In 1978, while Weizmann was pregnant, Netanyahu met a non-Jewish<ref name=toi> – Times of Israel</ref> British student named Fleur Cates at the university library, and began an affair. His marriage ended in divorce soon afterward, when his wife Miriam discovered the affair.<ref name="toi"/> In 1981, Netanyahu married Cates, and she ] to ].<ref>http://www.vanityfair.com/news/1996/06/benjamin-netanyahu</ref> The couple divorced in 1984.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hoffman |first=Gil |url=http://www.jpost.com/National-News/MKs-slam-Netanyahu-for-letting-son-date-gentile-339416 |title=MKs slam Netanyahu over his son dating a non-Jewish Norwegian woman |publisher=Jpost.com |date=26 January 2014 |deadurl=no |accessdate=31 January 2014}}</ref>

Netanyahu met his third wife, ], while she was working as a ] on an ] flight from New York to Israel.<ref name=bio/><ref name="toi"/> Sara was working as a flight attendant while she was completing a master's degree in psychology.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pmo.gov.il/English/PrimeMinister/Pages/PrimeMinistersWife.aspx|title=Mrs. Sara Netanyahu|work=pmo.gov.il}}</ref> The couple married in 1991 and has two sons: Yair, a former soldier in the ],<ref>{{cite news |title=Benjamin Netanyahu's son gets new IDF PR job |first=Li-or |last=Averbach |url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000637256&fid=1725 |newspaper=Globes |date=10 April 2011 |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref> and Avner, a national Bible champion and winner of the National Bible Quiz for Youth in ].<ref>{{cite web|last=Gordon |first=Evelyn |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=171175 |title=Netanyahu Jr. wins National Bible Quiz – JPost – Israel |publisher=JPost |date=17 March 2010 |accessdate=27 October 2011}}</ref>

In 1993, Netanyahu confessed on live television to having had an affair with Ruth Bar, his public relations adviser, claiming that a political rival had planted a secret video camera that had recorded him in a sexually compromising position with Bar, and that he had been threatened with the release of the tape to the press unless he quit the Likud leadership race. Benjamin and Sara repaired their marriage, and Netanyahu was elected to the leadership of Likud. In 1996, there were media reports of his 20-year friendship with Katherine Price-Mondadori, an Italian-American woman.<ref name=toi/><ref>, by Jack Katzenell, Associated Press, 7 July 1996</ref> During the 1990s, Netanyahu criticized this media intrusion into his private life, claiming that political rivals including ] had hired spies on him in order to try to gather evidence of alleged affairs, although it was noted that the Israeli public are generally not interested in their politician's private lives and would prefer they remained private.<ref>''Politics and Society in Modern Israel: Myths and Realities'', By Adam Garfinkle, M.E. Sharpe, 7 December 1999, page 194</ref>

Netanyahu became a grandfather on 1 October 2009, when his daughter Noa Netanyahu-Roth (married to Daniel Roth) gave birth to a boy, Shmuel.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mazel Tov Mr. Prime Minister! Netanyahu's first grandson born |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/mazel-tov-mr-prime-minister-netanyahu-s-first-grandson-born-1.6885 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=1 October 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Photo Essay: Netanyahu's Grandson Named |first=Maayana |last=Miskin |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/133763 |newspaper=Arutz Sheva |date=8 October 2009 |accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref> In 2011, Noa and her husband Daniel had a second son named David,<ref>{{cite web|last=Ronen |first=Gil |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146648 |title=Netanyahu Grandson Born – Inside Israel – News |publisher=Israel National News |accessdate=27 October 2011}}</ref> and in 2016 had a daughter. Noa is a ] (someone born to a secular family that became a returnee to ]) and lives in ] with her family.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://matzav.com/netanyahu-becomes-a-zaide-for-the-third-time/|title=Netanyahu Becomes a Zaide for the Third Time|first=David|last=Steger|date=17 February 2016|accessdate=17 February 2016|publisher=matzav.com}}</ref>

=== Relations with foreign leaders ===
During the ], Former French president ] was overheard saying to U.S. President Barack Obama, "I cannot bear Netanyahu, he's a liar". To this Obama reportedly responded, "You're fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day." According to a reporter who was present, all of the journalists covering the event agreed among themselves not to publish details of the incident.<ref name="YNet Overheard"> ], 7 November 2011.</ref><ref name="CBS Fed Up">, ], 8 November 2011.</ref>

Netanyahu has been noted for his close and friendly relationship with then Italian Prime Minister ].<ref> Haaretz, By Akiva Eldar, 14 June 2011</ref> Netanyahu has said of Berlusconi: "We are lucky that there is a leader such as yourself."<ref> Aviad Glickman 02.01.10</ref> Netanyahu has described Berlusconi as "one of the greatest friends".<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"> Telegraph, 7:30AM GMT 02 Feb 2010</ref><ref> Haaretz, By Akiva Eldar, Jun. 14, 2011</ref>

Apart from his lukewarm relationship with the Obama administration, Netanyahu has close ties with the ] and its leadership in the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/world/middleeast/house-gop-finds-a-growing-bond-with-netanyahu.html?pagewanted=print |title=House G.O.P. Tightens Its Bond With Netanyahu |author= Jennifer Steinhauer and Steven Lee Myers |work=The New York Times |date=20 September 2011 |accessdate=2 March 2012}}</ref> Netanyahu and ] ] have a close relationship that dates back to their work together at the ] in the mid-1970s.<ref>{{cite news |title=Romney to visit Israel, meet with Netanyahu |first=Maeve |last=Reston |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/02/news/la-pn-mitt-romney-to-visit-israel-meet-with-netanyahu-20120702 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=2 July 2012 |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> U.S. Vice President ], a ], has been friendly with Netanyahu for many years. In November 2011<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/11/18/heart-motor-city-vice-president-biden-addresses-yeshiva-beth-yehuda |title=In the Heart of Motor City, Vice President Biden Addresses Yeshiva Beth Yehuda |last=Bernstein |first=Jared |date=18 November 2011 |publisher=White House |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref> and in the ],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.npr.org/2012/10/11/162754053/transcript-biden-ryan-vice-presidential-debate |title=Transcript And Audio: Vice Presidential Debate |date=11 October 2012 |publisher=NPR |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref> Biden stated that the relationship has lasted for 39 years. Netanyahu remarked in March 2010 during a joint statement with Biden during his visit of Israel<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-vice-president-biden-and-prime-minister-netanyahu-a-joint-statement-press |title=Remarks by Vice President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu in a Joint Statement to the Press |date=9 March 2010 |publisher=White House |accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref> that their friendship had started almost three decades prior.

In October 2014, a senior official of the Obama administration called Netanyahu a "chickenshit" for his stance on Iran.<ref>Jeffrey Goldberg, . The Atlantic, 28 October 2014</ref> Secretary of State ] phoned Netanyahu to clarify that "such statements are disgraceful, unacceptable and damaging" and "do not reflect the position of the United States."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Kerry-phones-Netanyahu-to-apologize-over-chickenshit-slur-380442 |title=Kerry phones Netanyahu to apologize over 'chickenshit' slur |date=31 October 2014 |publisher=Jerusalem Post}}</ref> Netanyahu responded by saying "I'm being attacked because of my determination to defend Israel's interests. The safety of Israel is not important to those who attack me anonymously and personally."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Netanyahu-Im-being-attacked-because-of-my-determination-to-defend-Israels-interests-380142 |title=Netanyahu: I'm being attacked because of my determination to defend Israel's interests |date=29 October 2014 |publisher=Jerusalem Post}}</ref> Because of visible rifts between Netanyahu and members of the Obama administration, observers have characterized the relationship as having reached a crisis level by October 2014.<ref>{{cite web|last=Keinon |first=Herb |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Analysis-Israelis-more-likely-to-blame-Obama-not-Netanyahu-for-crisis-in-ties-with-US-379911 |title=Israelis more likely to blame Obama, not Benjamin Netanyahu, for 'crisis' in ties with US – Israel News – Jerusalem Post |publisher=Jpost.com |date=27 October 2014 |accessdate=2015-01-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Bogost |first=Ian |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/10/the-crisis-in-us-israel-relations-is-officially-here/382031/ |title=The Crisis in U.S.-Israel Relations Is Officially Here |publisher=The Atlantic |date=28 October 2014 |accessdate=2015-01-28}}</ref> The relationship between Netanyahu and the Obama administration had become problematic enough that ] reported in November 2014 that his conversations with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials indicated Israel would wait until a new U.S. president is elected before attempting to repair the relationship with the White House.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forward.com/articles/209068/federations-gather-to-network-organize-fret-and--/ |title=Federations Gather To Network, Organize Fret and – Of Course! – Shmooze – |publisher=Forward.com |date=11 November 2014 |accessdate=2015-01-28}}</ref> An opinion poll taken in cooperation with the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference showed that the "overwhelming majority" of Israelis believe their country's relationship with the U.S. has been hurt as a result of the poor relationship between Obama and Netanyahu.<ref>Hoffman, Gil (10 December 2014). . ''The Jerusalem Post''. Accessed 3 March 2015.</ref>

== Authored books ==
*{{cite book |title=International Terrorism: Challenge and Response |year=1981 |publisher=Transaction Publishers |isbn=978-0878558940}}
*{{cite book |title=Terrorism: How the West Can Win |year=1987 |publisher=Avon |isbn=978-0380703210}}
*{{cite book |title=Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism |year=1995 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |isbn=978-0374154929}}
*{{cite book |title=A Durable Peace: Israel and Its Place Among the Nations |year=1999 |origyear=1993 |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |isbn=978-0446523066}}

== See also ==
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{portal bar|Politics|Israel|Biography}} {{portal bar|Politics|Israel|Biography}}


Revision as of 07:28, 12 May 2016

Benjamin Netanyahu
Netanyahu in 2012
9th Prime Minister of Israel
Incumbent
Assumed office
31 March 2009
President
Preceded byEhud Olmert
In office
18 June 1996 – 6 July 1999
PresidentEzer Weizman
Preceded byShimon Peres
Succeeded byEhud Barak
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office
18 December 2012
Preceded byAvigdor Lieberman
Succeeded byAvigdor Lieberman
In office
6 November 2002 – 28 February 2003
Prime MinisterAriel Sharon
Preceded byShimon Peres
Succeeded bySilvan Shalom
Leader of the Opposition
In office
28 March 2006 – 31 March 2009
Prime MinisterEhud Olmert
Preceded byAmir Peretz
Succeeded byTzipi Livni
Minister of Finance
In office
28 February 2003 – 9 August 2005
Prime MinisterAriel Sharon
Preceded bySilvan Shalom
Succeeded byEhud Olmert
Personal details
Born (1949-10-21) 21 October 1949 (age 75)
Tel Aviv, Israel
Political partyLikud
Other political
affiliations		Likud Beiteinu (2012–14)
Spouses
  • Miriam Weizmann (1972–78)
  • Fleur Cates (1981–84)
  • Sara Ben-Artzi (1991–present)
Children
  • Noa
  • Avner
  • Yair
Parents
Alma mater
Profession
  • Writer
  • Economic consultant
  • Marketing executive
  • Politician
Signature
Websitenetanyahu.org.il/en/
Military service
Allegiance Israel
Branch/service Israeli Defense Forces
Years of service1967–73
Rank Seren (Captain)
UnitSayeret Matkal
Battles/wars

Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (Hebrew: בִּנְיָמִין "בִּיבִּי" נְתַנְיָהוּ‎; born 21 October 1949) is trash.

Portals:

References

  1. David Remnick (23 January 2013). "Bibi's Blues". The New Yorker.

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Succession boxes
Party political offices
Preceded byYitzhak Shamir Leader of Likud
1993–1999 		Succeeded byAriel Sharon
Preceded byAriel Sharon Leader of Likud
2005–present 		Incumbent
New office Leader of Likud Yisrael Beiteinu
2012–2014 		Position abolished
Political offices
Preceded byShimon Peres Prime Minister of Israel
1996–1999 		Succeeded byEhud Barak
Preceded byYaakov Neeman Minister of Justice
Acting
1996 		Succeeded byTzachi Hanegbi
Preceded byDan Meridor Minister of Finance
Acting
1997 		Succeeded byYaakov Neeman
Preceded byDavid Levy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Acting
1998 		Succeeded byAriel Sharon
Preceded byYaakov Neeman Minister of Finance
Acting
1998–1999 		Succeeded byMeir Sheetrit
Preceded byAriel Sharon
Acting 		Minister of Foreign Affairs
2002–2003 		Succeeded bySilvan Shalom
Preceded bySilvan Shalom Minister of Finance
2003–2005 		Succeeded byEhud Olmert
Preceded byAmir Peretz Leader of the Opposition
2006–2009 		Succeeded byTzipi Livni
Preceded byEhud Olmert Prime Minister of Israel
2009–present 		Incumbent
Preceded byAvigdor Lieberman Minister of Foreign Affairs
Acting
2012–2013 		Succeeded byAvigdor Lieberman
Preceded byYair Lapid Minister of Finance
Acting
2014–2015 		Succeeded byMoshe Kahlon
Preceded byAvigdor Lieberman Minister of Foreign Affairs
Acting
2015–present 		Incumbent
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