This is the Forward’s coverage of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister and an influential figure in Israeli politics.
Benjamin Netanyahu
The Latest
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News Likud’s Nir Barkat eyes leadership in Israel — and seeks allies in the US
Nir Barkat, a member of the Knesset, is not a household name in the U.S. or Israel, despite his two terms as mayor of Jerusalem. Now a member of the main opposition party, Likud, Barkat has never served in the cabinet. Nonetheless, the 61-year-old high-tech entrepreneur — whose net worth is estimated at several hundred…
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Fast Forward EXCLUSIVE: Trump called Netanyahu’s congratulations to Biden ‘an ultimate betrayal,’ new book claims
Former President Donald Trump resented that Benjamin Netanyahu, the former Israeli prime minister he had forged a close relationship with, congratulated Joe Biden upon his electoral victory, according to a new book by journalist Michael Wolff. “It was startling to aides, however much they were anticipating an eruption, that Trump’s wrath fell on Bibi Netanyahu,”…
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News The future for Netanyahu and Bennett, according to an American who worked for both
22 years ago, George Birnbaum was at Benjamin Netanyahu’s side as his campaign strategist when the former prime minister lost his first re-election bid. On Sunday, Birnbaum, who was once Netanyahu’s chief of staff, was in the Knesset, watching Netanyahu exit the stage once again. But this time, Birnbaum was signed on to assist the…
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News What Washington can expect from the new government in Israel
Washington doesn’t know Naftali Bennett, the likely next prime minister of Israel. The 49-year-old former settler leader with strong nationalist views supports the permanent Israeli annexation of the West Bank. He’s managed to cobble together an astoundingly diverse coalition that for the first time in Israeli history includes Arab parties. His parents are originally from…
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Fast Forward Did Netanyahu just lose? Here’s what happened Tuesday in Israeli politics.
(JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to form a government by the deadline imposed by Israeli law, thrusting the country into uncertain political territory yet again. This could mean that after more than 12 years as Israel’s prime minister, Netanyahu will have to leave office. But he’s been in this situation before…
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Opinion Is ousting Netanyahu really worth elevating Naftali Bennett?
Israelis who wish to end the seemingly infinite tenure of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have in recent days pinned their hopes on a new idea: the prospect of a national-unity government led by Naftali Bennett, a former defense minister who heads the right-wing Yamina party. In theory, this Bennett-led government would be non-ideological, and the…
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News Analysis: Why Biden’s attempt to return to the nuclear deal with Iran is not causing alarm … yet
Six years ago, the Jewish American community was evenly divided over a key issue that would help define President Barack Obama’s foreign policy legacy. A survey conducted by the Jewish Journal in July 2015 showed that 49% of American Jews supported the nuclear deal with Iran while 31% were opposed. The debate tore apart even…
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Opinion Yes, really: Hamas and the PA want to see Netanyahu win
As we inch closer to Israel’s fourth election in two years, there’s understandable fatigue and indifference overwhelming Israelis. It’s overwhelming Palestinians, too: unfortunately, we see no glimmer of hope in most of the competing parties. The differences among Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Gideon Sa’ar, Naftali Bennet, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Lieberman are largely irrelevant. Dehumanizing…
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Fast Forward DNC finding: Biden’s Israel backing cost Harris votes for president
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Antisemitism Decoded After Minneapolis, a YouTuber comes for Jewish ‘welfare queens’
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News Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s exiled crown prince, has a plan for his people’s future — if they’ll have him
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News What We Know About Jeffrey Epstein’s Childhood
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Fast Forward Irish Jews report 143 antisemitic incidents in 6 months through a new reporting system
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Fast Forward Yet again, Israel’s public shelters become sites of camaraderie amid steep danger
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Fast Forward What happened during the 2025 Israel-Iran war? A timeline.
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Fast Forward Sirens, shelters and an empty Old City: Jerusalem rattled on the first day of war with Iran
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