Benyamin Netanyahu, one of the most influential politicians in Israel's modern history, is a figure who plays a significant role in Middle Eastern and global politics. Known by the nickname “Bibi”, B. Netanyahu is distinguished by his unique rhetoric and firm stance against Palestine.
Netanyahu is known as a leader who is realistic, strategically minded, and sometimes stubborn by nature. He approaches events analytically, not emotionally. He is not inclined to compromise on security issues; for him, Israel's existence is a matter of life and death.
“Bibi's” supporters characterize him as “Israel's protector”, while his critics describe him as an “authoritarian-leaning politician”. Netanyahu is a master of communication who deeply understands the power of public opinion and the role of the media.
In the Islamic world, however, some leaders - for example, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - liken him to Adolf Hitler, the leader of the German fascists, due to the destruction and massacres he has committed in Palestine.
At the heart of his political philosophy lies the guarantee of Israel's security. Netanyahu approaches the “two-state solution” idea with caution, always striving to maintain a balance of power in negotiations with Palestine.
Domestically, the liberalization of the economy, the development of technology and innovation, as well as the attraction of international investments are among his main priorities.
Benjamin Netanyahu is a controversial but influential figure on the international stage. His relations with the United States have historically been close. Especially with Republican presidents (for example, during Donald Trump's tenure), Tel Aviv achieved close cooperation with Washington.
At his initiative, Israel established diplomatic relations with several Arab countries - UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan — within the framework of the “Abraham Accords”. This is considered a historic turning point in the Middle East.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu's Palestine policy is frequently criticized in institutions such as the European Union and the UN.
Analysts say that B. Netanyahu conducts political struggle like a game of chess: he plans every move in advance, taking tactical steps both domestically and internationally to weaken his opponents. He is not afraid of coalition collapses, as he sees crisis as a means to restore his political power.
This characteristic has made him one of Israel's strongest and most controversial leaders.
However, his personality is not explained solely by election campaigns, government decisions, and diplomatic maneuvers. To understand the roots of his formed views, ideological positions, and values passed down through generations, it is useful to look at his parents. So, who are they?
The Modern.az website, in its "Leaders' Parents" section, this time discusses Benjamin Netanyahu's father and mother.
Benjamin Netanyahu is a politician who stands between stability and change in the complex mosaic of the Middle East. His character and position play a decisive role in determining Israel's current and future course. “Bibi” is both a strategist involved in shaping global politics and a leader who fiercely protects the interests of his nation.
The “Netanyahu era” in Israeli politics will be remembered for many years - both for its achievements and the controversies it created. Benjamin was born in 1949, one year after the establishment of the State of Israel. Born in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu is the first Prime Minister of Israel born after its independence.
“Bibi's” father, Benzion Netanyahu, was born in March 1910 in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. His original surname was Mileikovsky. Benzion Mileikovsky's family moved to Palestine in 1920. There, his father (Benjamin Netanyahu's grandfather) adopted the family's new surname. The word Netanyahu translates as "given by God".
Benzion Netanyahu graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was known as a Jewish historian, encyclopedist, and medieval scholar.
Benzion Netanyahu worked as a professor in the history and Hebrew literature departments at the University of Denver in Colorado, USA, and as head of the Semitic languages and literature department at Cornell University in New York State in the mid-1950s and 1960s, specializing in the history of the Jewish people. At the same time, he served as editor-in-chief of the Hebrew Encyclopedia for over 10 years. Throughout his academic career, he frequently traveled between the US and Israel. He was more widely known in academic circles for his research on the medieval Inquisition targeting Jews in Spain. Benzion Netanyahu was also an activist in the lobbying movement in the US to support the creation of a Jewish state.
The Netanyahu family lived in the US for several years (1956–1958 and 1963–1967). Benjamin completed high school in the US during that period.
Benzion Netanyahu was a long-time member of the uncompromising Revisionist Zionist movement, which was focused on the struggle for a Jewish state. He also worked as the personal secretary of Ze'ev Jabotinsky, one of the leading figures of the movement. The "Haaretz" newspaper once called Benzion Netanyahu the politician's "ideological compass". He advocated for the creation of a Jewish state on both sides of the Jordan River.
Benzion Netanyahu married Celia Segal, whom he met in Palestine in 1944. The couple had three sons: Jonathan (1946), Benjamin (1949), and Ido (1952).
Benzion Netanyahu's ideology and biography left their mark on his son Benjamin's politics. He always prioritized ancient Jewish history, the trauma of the diaspora, and Israel's security. Benjamin remembers his father with the words: “Those who do not know history cannot understand the present, and those who do not understand the present cannot see the future.”
In Benzion Netanyahu's approach to politics and history, concepts such as “Jewish state”, “Jewish identity”, and “security of the Jewish state” were paramount. These concepts played a key role in understanding how his son Benjamin approached the aforementioned topics.
Benzion Netanyahu passed away in 2012 at the age of 102 at his home in Jerusalem.
Benzion Netanyahu's mother, Celia Segal, was born in Palestine in 1912. Celia Segal's parents were Jews of Lithuanian and Polish descent. They later immigrated to Minnesota, USA, and then moved to Palestine.
It is noted that Celia Segal studied law at an institute in London, the capital of England.
However, she gave up her career to raise her three sons. Celia Segal's main work was family and the upbringing of her children.
She played an influential role in the development of her children. Her son Benjamin always remembers his mother's upbringing of her sons in terms of language, pronunciation, and worldview.
Celia Segal's roots and education, and her connection to the Jewish diaspora, laid the groundwork for Benjamin Netanyahu's education in the US and Israel, his fluency in English, and his ability to communicate with Western audiences. She also directly influenced her son's approach to Israel's security strategy.
Celia Segal passed away in 2000.
Parents presented their children with a legacy not only biologically but also ideologically - the concept of Jewish statehood.
Thus, their parents - Benzion and Celia Netanyahu - are the fundamental cornerstone of Benjamin Netanyahu and his brothers' views, ideology, virtues, and even politics.
It should be noted that Benjamin's elder brother, Jonathan Netanyahu, was killed in 1976 while leading the operation to free 100 Jewish hostages from an Air France plane in Entebbe, Uganda. He was a commander in the Israeli Special Forces.
The Prime Minister's younger brother, Ido, currently works as a physician and playwright in the US.
The middle son of the family, Benjamin, served in the Israel Defense Forces from 1967 to 1972. After military service, he studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US from 1972 to 1976. He earned a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1975 and an MBA in 1976. He also studied political science at MIT and Harvard University.
B. Netanyahu worked at the international Boston Consulting Group from 1976 to 1978. He then returned to Israel and founded the International Institute for the Problems of Terrorism, which he named the Jonathan Institute in honor of his late elder brother.
From 1980 to 1982, he held a senior position at Rim Industries in Jerusalem.
In 1982, Netanyahu was appointed Deputy Head of the Israeli diplomatic mission in Washington. Just two years later, he became Israel's Permanent Representative to the UN, a position he held until 1988.
Returning to Israel in 1988, “Bibi” was first elected to the Knesset, the country's parliament, as a member of the ruling Likud party. He also served as Deputy Foreign Minister, a position he held until 1991. In 1993, he was elected leader of the Likud party.
In the late 1990s, hostility towards Benjamin Netanyahu was very strong in certain circles of the Israeli establishment. His father, in turn, was practically considered a devil by his son's political opponents.
In the 1996 Prime Ministerial elections, Benjamin Netanyahu won 50.49% of the votes. In 1999, early elections were held, and “Bibi” was defeated.
After stepping down as Prime Minister and leader of the Likud party, B. Netanyahu worked as a high-tech consultant for various companies.
In October 2002, Netanyahu returned to politics and joined the coalition government formed by Likud leader Ariel Sharon. He served as Israel's Foreign Minister from 2002-2003.
From 2003-2005, he was Minister of Finance. He resigned in protest of A. Sharon's decision to disengage from the Gaza Strip. Sharon soon left Likud, and Netanyahu took over the party leadership. From 2005–2009, he was the opposition leader in parliament.
From 2009-2021, he served as Prime Minister of Israel for a second time,
At the end of 2022, Netanyahu began leading the Israeli government for a third time and continues to serve as Prime Minister to this day. In December 2022, Netanyahu brought to power the most extreme right-wing and religious government in Israel's history.
In 2023, a new war began between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement, and a formal ceasefire regime currently prevails between the parties.
Benjamin Netanyahu has been married three times and has three children and grandchildren.
His first wife was Miriam Weizmann. They married in the mid-1970s and divorced a few years later. The couple had a daughter named Noa (born 1978).
Netanyahu's second wife was Fleur Cates. They were married from 1981 to 1988.
In 1991, B. Netanyahu married Sara Ben-Artzi. The couple has two sons: Yair (born 1991) and Avner (born 1994).
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