Interviewee: Benjamin Netanyahu
Interviewer: Neil Cavuto
Date: January 14, 2009

A household name during the first Persian Gulf War, Benjamin Netanyahu is two-time Prime Minister of Israel. He served from 1996 to 1999 and was elected to another term in 2009.

Many people in the Holy Land remember Benjamin Netanyahu’s first term because of his unwaveringly hard policy on Palestinian terrorism. By all accounts, he made substantial gains in decreasing terrorism in the country.

To an extent, he also helped the nation rally on the economic battlefront. As Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu hastened privatization and liberalized the currency exchange. He upped the ante as Foreign Minister from 2002 to 2003, and then as Finance Minister until 2005. In these capacities, he saw Israel’s economy grow by as much as 4.2% in 2004.

Prior to becoming a politician, Benjamin Netanyahu was a soldier. He was drafted to the Israeli military in 1967 and served five years as part of the elite Sayeret Maktal unit. As such, he fought in the Yom Kippur war and figured in the 1972 hostage drama at the Ben-Gurion Airport.

Discharged with the rank of captain, Benjamin Netanyahu flew to the US to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he graduated with a degree in architecture. From 1976 to 1982, he worked for the Boston Consulting Group and later, Rim Industries in Jerusalem. During this time, Benjamin Netanyahu organized two international conferences on terrorism, which were attended by some world renowned personages.

In 1982, Benjamin Netanyahu went to Washington, DC to serve as Deputy Chief of Mission at Israel’s embassy. From 1984 to 1988, he served as Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, where he successfully headed a campaign to declassify records about Holocaust criminals.

Benjamin Netanyahu entered Israeli public service in 1988 by joining the Likud party. However, it was during his appointment as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs when he truly ascended the world stage. During his tenure, the 1991 Gulf War broke out and Benjamin Netanyahu served as Israel’s most visible diplomat.

In 1993, Benjamin Netanyahu began to chair his party. Three years later, he thrashed Labor contender Shimon Peres and became the ninth Prime Minister of Israel.