Veteran Israeli politician Benjamin Netanyahu, often known as "Bibi," was sworn in as the nation's prime minister for a sixth term on December 29 after his victory in the country's election on November 1.
The orthodox parties, a religious movement, and his Likud party make up his new administration, which is the most religious and conservative in Israel's history.
As Israel's longest-serving prime minister and someone who is simultaneously facing a corruption prosecution, Netanyahu currently leads the country's administration.
What you should know about Netanyahu is as follows:
Netanyahu's father, Benzion Netanyahu, was a Polish secular Jew, and his mother, Tzila Segal, was an Israeli-born Jew. After settling in Palestine, his father, Benzion Mileikowsky, adopted the name, Benzion Netanyahu. Some of his ancestries may be traced to Spain.
In 1949, he was born in Jaffa and subsequently grew up there before attending high school in the US.
Netanyahu's father was a "Revisionist Zionist" who opposed making concessions to nearby Arab nations and insisted that Israel should exist on both banks of the Jordan River.
Army captain, rise to power: In 1967, Netanyahu enlisted in the Israeli army. He quickly rose to the rank of captain during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and was a member of an elite commando unit.
In 1982, Netanyahu was named the Israeli embassy's deputy head of mission in Washington, DC. He was named Israel's representative to the UN in 1984.
Deputy foreign minister: In the government of then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, Netanyahu was named as the deputy foreign minister in 1988.
The Likud party's head since 1993, Netanyahu oversaw the party's comeback to electoral strength after its loss in the 1992 election.
Later, Ariel Sharon took over as Likud leader, and it wasn't until Sharon left Likud in 2005 to create Kadima that Netanyahu regained control.
He held the position for a record 12-year period, from 2009 to 2021, after serving as premier from 1996 to 1999. His sixth tenure as prime minister begins this month.
Netanyahu is charged with fraud, betrayal, and corruption. He was charged in 2019 in connection with ongoing investigations into gifts from affluent pals and allegations that he sought regulatory favors for media magnates in exchange for favorable coverage.
He has said he did nothing wrong. After being charged in 2019, he rebuffed demands for him to resign as the nation's leader and often criticized law enforcement, the media, and the courts for conducting a "witch-hunt" against him.
One of the key causes for Israeli lawmakers from all party stripes to unite against him was the corruption charges, which ultimately resulted in his losing power during the March 2021 legislative elections.
What may be anticipated of his government?
One of Netanyahu's more contentious actions was to form a coalition with many Israeli politicians, notably Itamar Ben-Gvir, a former supporter of Kach, which is now regarded as a "terrorist" organization in Israel. Ben-Gvir, the current leader of the Jewish Power party, has been awarded a larger security portfolio by Netanyahu.
Ben-Gvir has a lengthy history of employing inflammatory language against Palestinians, as does Bezalel Smotrich, another politician and incoming minister. They advocate extending Israeli authority over the occupied West Bank and oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The West Bank is seeing the worst violence in over 20 years as a result of the new administration, which has raised concerns about a military buildup there.
Benny Gantz, the departing defense minister, voiced "concern" about the "extreme tendency" of the new administration in an interview with Channel 12 television late on Tuesday. He said that this "may generate a security escalation."
