How old is netanyahu

Netanyahu became highly involved in international counterterrorism efforts, which helped launch his political career. After serving in the Israeli embassy in Washington, D. During his time at the U. In , Netanyahu was elected a member of the Knesset Israel's parliament by the right-wing Likud party and served as deputy minister for foreign affairs. Five years later, he was elected chairman of the Likud party and its prime minister candidate.

In , he was elected prime minister of Israel, defeating incumbent Labor candidate Shimon Peres. Netanyahu served as prime minister until During his term, he signed the Hebron and Wye Accords, advancing the peace process with the Palestinians.

He also expanded government privatization, liberalized currency regulations and reduced deficits. After resigning from the Knesset following his election loss to his former commander Barak, Netanyahu worked in the private sector and toured on the lecture circuit.

He returned to politics in , serving as minister of foreign affairs before becoming minister of finance. On March 31, , Netanyahu was sworn in as prime minister for the second time, punctuating his victory by establishing a national unity government and calling for a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish state.

In his famous June address to Bar-Ilan University, he said, "I told President Obama in Washington, if we get a guarantee of demilitarization, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the Jewish state, we are ready to agree to a real peace agreement, a demilitarized Palestinian state side by side with the Jewish state.

However, Netanyahu found himself at odds with the United States in November He objected to the deal reached between the U. According to CNN, Netanyahu blasted the deal as "a historic mistake," adding that "sanctions that took years to put in place are going to be eased. The year brought great turmoil for the region, with conflict escalating rapidly during the summer between Palestinian military group Hamas and Israel after the killing of three teenagers. The Gaza region was targeted by Israeli forces as a Hamas stronghold, with thousands of rockets fired and international outcry ensuing over the destruction and massive loss of civilian life.

He is alleged to have accepted gifts from billionaires and traded favours with media and telecoms moguls. Unlike one of his predecessors, Ehud Olmert, who stepped down after it appeared he would be indicted, Netanyahu has refused to leave power. Indicted in three separate cases , including on charges of bribery and fraud, Netanyahu faces more than a decade in prison if convicted but has vowed to fight the accusations, which he denies.

Two years ago, Netanyahu appeared to have successfully secured another term in office until disagreements erupted between Jewish ultra-Orthodox parties and the former defence minister and staunch secularist Avigdor Lieberman. Ultimately, the prime minister was unable to bring the two sides together and his rightwing coalition collapsed.

The event led to an extended political deadlock in which three more snap elections were held in September , March and March , as increasingly divided Israeli politicians were unable to form stable governments. But in his attempts for full control, Netanyahu isolated several of his partners on the right, including the incoming prime minister, Bennett. At the end of May, the opposition finally seized the opportunity and joined with disheartened former Netanyahu allies to take down their common enemy.

Second, by his youth and engaging media style, Bibi at the same time signaled a change at the national level of politics. The first of the younger Israeli-born generation of politicians to head a major party, his choice hastened a similar process among the other parties, especially in the rival Labor alignment, of passing over the "old guard" and promoting newer faces appealing to younger Israeli voters.

Netanyahu was born in Jerusalem on October 2, , to Ben-Zion Netanyahu, a professor of history, and his wife Tsilla. At the age of 18 he began his military training. He served as a soldier and officer in an elite unit of the Israel Defense Forces from to In this he followed his brother, Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu, the celebrated hero of the Entebbe rescue operation who was killed in action freeing a planeload of Israelis held hostage in Uganda. Another brother, Iddo Netanyahu, was a physician.

After graduating, he held several industrial consulting and managerial positions in the United States. In he returned to Israel to become director of the Jonathan Institute, founded to study ways for democratic governments to combat terrorism. With his wife Sarah, he had one son, Yasir. It was Netanyahu's first visit to Jordan. Netanyahu shakes hands with outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres before taking the office himself in June At 46 years old, Netanyahu was the youngest-ever Israeli prime minister.

Netanyahu meets with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for the first time in September They met at an Israeli army base at the Erez Checkpoint in Gaza. Netanyahu spends the day on the beach with his wife, Sara, and son Avner in Caesarea, Israel, in August Douglas was honored for his inspirational commitment to Israel and the Jewish people and in recognition of his new book "Climbing the Mountain.

Netanyahu looks through binoculars as he and the Israeli Cabinet tour the West Bank in December The outgoing Prime Minister announced that he was quitting the Knesset and stepping down as party leader 10 days after being defeated in elections. Netanyahu testifies before a US House committee on September 20, The committee was conducting hearings on terrorism following the September 11 attacks. Leslie E. Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are seen at a polling station in Jerusalem in August He was once again elected as head of the Likud party.

Netanyahu shakes hands with Israeli President Shimon Peres in February after winning backing from the Israeli parliament to become prime minister again. A close election between Netanyahu and rival Tzipi Livni had left the results unclear until the parliament's decision. Obama meets with Netanyahu at the White House in September Netanyahu addresses a joint session of the US Congress in May