Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister of Israel since its inception.
Born in Tel Aviv on October 21, 1949, he grew up in Jerusalem before moving with his family to Pennsylvania during his high school years, where his father taught history. In 1967 Netanyahu returned to Israel and joined the IDF's Sayeret Matkal special forces unit, where he served until 1973.
He took part in many military operations, including a 1972 rescue mission of hostages in a hijacked Sabena airplane, during which he was shot in the shoulder. Netanyahu finished his military service in 1972, but returned to serve in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, after which he was promoted to the rank of Captain.
His brother Yonatan "Yoni," an IDF officer, was killed during Operation Entebbe in 1976 at the Entebbe Airport in Uganda where Israelis were being held hostage. His was the only death resulting from the mission.
He has degrees in architecture and business management from MIT. He also studied political science at MIT and Harvard University. He served as Israel's ambassador to the UN from 1984-1988, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs under Ariel Sharon's government.
In 1993 Netanyahu was elected Likud party chairman and served as the leader of the opposition until being elected prime minister in 1996. In 2009, he was elected prime minister for the second time, in January 2013 a third, and in March 2015 a fourth.
He is married to Sara Netanyahu with whom he has two children, Yair and Avner.
In 2018, the Mossad stole Iran's nuclear archive. Netanyahu later presented the information to the international community. Netanyahu strongly opposes a nuclear deal with Iran.
Under the rotation government set by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, Netanyahu serves as the leader of the opposition.
That different mode of operation helps explain why trust in the IDF, and its leader, is on the rise, while trust in the government, and its head, is going in the opposite direction.
Benny Gantz threatened earlier this week to leave the government if an unsatisfactory conscription bill passes into law.
The delegation was set to discuss with US officials the alternative plans for a massive military operation in Rafah and to discuss the hostage deal negotiations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's aggressive display in the Knesset shows cognitive dissonance – a state of tension when reality challenges our self-beliefs.
Netanyahu's decision to cancel his US trip over a nonbinding resolution suggests a missed opportunity for Israel to engage in constructive dialogue and sway opinions.
Netanyahu's announcement canceling his US trip comes as the prime minister battles for his political life domestically.
Partnership and bipartisan American support are essential for Israel's practical considerations.
Hamas' response to the deal was prepared before the UNSC vote, not after it, a State Department spokesperson said.
Hamas rejected the deal late Monday night, informing mediators that it would maintain its original position regarding a ceasefire.