Benjamin Netanyahu

Political Figure

Benjamin Netanyahu studied for a few years in the United States before returning to his native Israel in 1967 for military service. His career in the United States and Israel went from business to politics, and Netanyahu worked in the U.S. at the Israeli embassy and later as a representative at the United Nations. He was elected to the Knesset in 1988. During the Gulf War he strengthened his political position and emerged as a candidate for Prime Minister from the Likud party, overcoming an adultery scandal and winning the 1996 election. He was defeated in the election of 1999 by Ehud Barak.

Extra credit: Netanyahu has degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Other Israeli Prime Ministers have included Ariel Sharon, Golda Meir, David Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin.