Ten Surprising Facts About Benjamin Netanyahu on His 77th Birthday

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עברית · מקור יחיד

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated his 77th birthday with the revelation of ten lesser-known facts about his life. These include his youth soccer and debate activities in the U.S., his military service in Sayeret Matkal, and his academic pursuits at MIT. He also worked in business and diplomacy before entering politics. Netanyahu is the first Prime Minister born in Israel and holds records for being both the youngest and oldest to hold the office.

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Benjamin Netanyahu, turning 77, has a past as a high school soccer player and debater in the U.S.
He was accepted to Yale but chose IDF service, later joining elite Sayeret Matkal.
Netanyahu studied architecture and business at MIT, with studies interrupted by war and family tragedy.
He used the name Ben Nitay and worked in marketing before his diplomatic and political careers.
He was injured by friendly fire during the 1972 Sabena hijacking rescue operation.
Netanyahu is the first Israeli-born Prime Minister and holds records for youngest and oldest.
He has been married three times, meeting his current wife, Sarah, at an airport.

On the occasion of his 77th birthday, ten lesser-known facts about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been revealed, highlighting aspects of his life before and during his extensive political career. These details span his youth in the United States, his academic pursuits, and early professional experiences.

During his teenage years in the Philadelphia area, Netanyahu was an active student, playing on the high school soccer team, participating in the chess club, and engaging in debate. Despite being accepted to Yale University, he chose to return to Israel in 1967 to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), serving for five years in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit. He later returned to the U.S. to pursue higher education.

While studying at MIT, where he earned degrees in architecture and later an MBA, Netanyahu also took political science courses and was accepted into a doctoral program. His studies were interrupted by the Yom Kippur War and later by the death of his brother, Yoni Netanyahu, during the Entebbe operation, which prompted his return to Israel and a shift towards public advocacy and counter-terrorism efforts.

Before entering politics, Netanyahu used the name Ben Nitay in the U.S. and worked as a marketing manager for a furniture company in Israel from 1980 to 1982. He then transitioned to a diplomatic career, serving as a counselor at the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C. before entering the political arena.

During his military service, Netanyahu was injured in the arm by friendly fire while participating in the 1972 operation to rescue hostages from the Sabena airliner. He has been married three times, with his current wife, Sarah Netanyahu, whom he met at an airport in Amsterdam in 1989.

Netanyahu holds a unique place in Israeli history as the first Prime Minister born in Israel after its establishment in 1948. He also holds the record for being both the youngest Prime Minister when first elected at age 46 in 1996, and subsequently, the oldest, surpassing Yitzhak Shamir.