Benjamin Netanyahu is the Prime Minister of Israel and the country’s longest-serving leader. Born on October 21, 1949, in Tel Aviv, he has played a central role in Israeli politics for more than three decades. A member of the right-wing Likud party, Netanyahu first became prime minister in 1996, serving until 1999. He returned to office in 2009 and remained in power until 2021, before staging a political comeback in late 2022.
Netanyahu has built his political identity around national security, a tough stance on Iran, and expanding Israel’s diplomatic ties in the Middle East. Under his leadership, Israel signed the Abraham Accords, normalising relations with several Arab states in 2020. Domestically, he has overseen economic growth alongside deep political divisions.
Netanyahu remains one of the most influential and polarising figures in Israeli political history.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed world leaders, denouncing delegates who walked out of the hall and defending military actions against Iranian nuclear installations. Netanyahu asserted that striking Iran's nuclear infrastructure was among the easiest decisions he faced as prime minister, stating, 'Because if we hadn't done it, we'd all be dead.' He claimed that several world leaders privately expressed gratitude to Israel for targeting Iran's nuclear assets despite public posturing. Reflecting on Israel's military history, Netanyahu recalled returning from high school in the United States ahead of the 1967 Six-Day War to meet his brother, Yonatan Netanyahu. He also recounted the 1976 Entebbe rescue operation, where his brother lost his life while liberating over one hundred hostages held by terrorists in Uganda. Reaffirming his brother's resolve that Israel has no choice but to win, Netanyahu stressed that this conviction remains paramount following the attacks of October 7, 2023.
In this edition of Statecraft, anchor Geeta Mohan analyses key geopolitical developments across the globe. At the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended strikes on Iran and displayed a Starlink terminal alongside references to pager explosions, amid a walkout by delegates and a cancelled meeting with Elon Musk. Meanwhile in Washington, US President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping with full ceremonial honours, agreeing to extend the bilateral trade truce by two months while strategic disagreements over Taiwan, artificial intelligence, and rare earths persisted. The broadcast examines the regional implications of potential US-China rapprochement for India and the wider Indo-Pacific. Additionally, the programme covers Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif evading questions on Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed at the UN, as well as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's new cabinet decree prohibiting face coverings in schools and capping non-Italian speakers at 30% per classroom.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York, directing sharp criticism at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Netanyahu stated that Mamdani attempted to prevent him from attending the summit and silence him, asserting that the truth cannot be silenced. He claimed that many Jewish residents no longer feel safe in New York City since Mamdani became mayor. Netanyahu accused the mayor of praising individuals convicted of supporting Hamas, affiliating with controversial figures, hosting a Palestinian journalist who filmed Hamas actions, and repeatedly levelling false genocide allegations against Israel. News analysts noted that Netanyahu's address at the UNGA forum carried domestic political significance ahead of forthcoming elections in Israel, highlighting regional tensions across West Asia.
A bombshell report has raised a deeply uncomfortable question in Israel: Was Benjamin Netanyahu warned about the October 7 Hamas attack before it happened? According to a report by Haaretz, based on the forthcoming book Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed allegedly called Netanyahu around a week and a half before October 7, 2023. The report claims bin Zayed warned that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major military operation against Israel and feared it could trigger massive bloodshed and regional instability.
With peace efforts underway to reach a truce in the Middle East with the US-Iran war continuing unabated and the world kept on edge, India Today has a hilarious 'Dweear'-styled take on the disagreement between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Geeta Mohan examines shifting geopolitical strategies in Statecraft, beginning with European nations relocating gold reserves from North America. The Netherlands has moved 86 tonnes of gold away from the United States and Canada to London and domestic vaults to enhance accessibility during potential crises, reflecting broader European moves to reduce dependence on Washington amid policy divergences. In Ukraine, lawmakers are pushing to legalise and tax the adult entertainment industry, projecting annual revenues of up to 25 million dollars to purchase approximately 30,000 combat drones, while curbing underground corruption. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force has initiated a massive 17-day combat exercise over Rajasthan near the international border, coinciding with the multinational Tarang Shakti drill, triggering heightened vigilance and emergency meetings across Pakistan's defence establishment. Additionally, US diplomatic envoys held substantive talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, while Germany's far-right AfD achieved a major electoral victory in Saxony-Anhalt.
In this edition of Statecraft, the United Nations Security Council report attributes the November 2025 Red Fort blast in Delhi to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Israel's Ambassador to India Reuven Azar discussed the escalating conflict in West Asia, Israel's military strategies, UN's Gaza report and more.
The latest edition of Statecraft covers Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's maiden three-day visit to India for the sixteenth India-Japan Annual Summit.
This episode of So Sorry is a humorous take on the US-Iran peace deal and how US President Donald Trump is trying to convince Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, in Deewaar movie style, to sign the ceasefire deal.
The US and Iran have agreed to a draft framework aimed at ending the ongoing West Asia conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Ahead of the June 21 NEET re-examination, candidates faced technical glitches on the National Testing Agency website while downloading admit cards.
US President Donald Trump accused Iran of carrying out drone attacks against Indian ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz, saying it was "totally unacceptable."
In this episode of News Track, Maria Shaquille discusses the escalating tensions in the Middle East as Israel and Iran exchange strikes following Israel's operation in Beirut and Iran's missile response.
Just weeks ahead of the NEET-UG re-test, a Dubai-based cybersecurity researcher reports significant weaknesses in the National Testing Agency's NEET re-examination portal, suggesting unauthorised administrative access could compromise official data.
The Trinamool Congress in West Bengal is facing a severe internal crisis characterised by mass absenteeism, resignations, and the expulsion of two lawmakers following allegations of forged signatures.
This episode of Statecraft covers major geopolitical shifts, starting with US President Donald Trump's proposed peace agreement with Iran. The draft understanding, which requires Arab states to join the Abraham Accords, challenges Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long-standing strategy to isolate Tehran.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel discusses the escalating tensions in West Asia, US-Iran peace talks and much more.
In this episode of News Today, the focus is on the high-stakes peace negotiations between the United States and Iran, which will be held in Islamabad on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump has warned Iran against charging fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
