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Benjamin Netanyahu

·32 min·3 clips
Three weeks into a joint US-Israeli war with Iran, some believe America wouldn't be bombing if not for Benjamin Netanyahu.
The episode opens by describing a major US-Israeli combat operation in Iran, suggesting Netanyahu's role in pushing for this conflict. It then explores his background: born in Tel Aviv in 1949, he was the first Israeli prime minister born in the state. He spent formative years in the US, becoming bilingual and absorbing American culture. His father, Benzion Netanyahu, was a prominent revisionist Zionist historian, shaping his nationalist views. Netanyahu served in an elite IDF unit, facing dangerous missions. The death of his older brother Yoni in the 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue was a turning point, thrusting him into public life as a spokesperson and leading him to found an anti-terrorism institute. He entered diplomacy, becoming Israel's ambassador to the UN at age 30, where he honed his media skills. Netanyahu rose in politics, leading the Likud party by 1993. He consistently warned about Iran's nuclear threat, calling for regime change as early as 1992. He opposed the Oslo Accords and peace process with Palestinians. After Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination in 1995, Netanyahu won a surprise election in 1996, becoming Israel's youngest prime minister. His first term was troubled, and he lost power in 1999. He returned to politics, becoming prime minister again in 2009, adopting a more pragmatic approach while maintaining hardline rhetoric on Iran. From 2015, corruption investigations destabilized his coalitions, leading to his indictment in 2019. To stay in power, he brokered deals with far-right parties, giving them veto power over Palestinian policy. The October 7th, 2023, Hamas attacks were a major intelligence failure, damaging his reputation. He responded with war in Gaza and conflicts with Hezbollah and Iran. With President Trump back in office in 2025, the US joined military operations against Iran. Netanyahu faces ongoing corruption trials and an upcoming election, with his legacy tied to these conflicts.

As heard by us

A measured portrait of Netanyahu's Iran warnings, political rise and pursuit of a historical verdict.

Profile opens on Benjamin Netanyahu in the shadow of the joint US-Israeli war with Iran, then works back through the security instincts that have defined his public life.

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Why you'd press play

You want the Iran war explained through Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli leader who has spent decades warning about Iran.

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