CNN
—
Here’s a look at the life of former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
date of birth: March 25, 1972
place of birth: Haifa, Israel
Birth name: Naftali Bennett
dad: Jim Bennett
the mom: Myrna (Lefkow) Bennett
marriage: Gilat Bennett (1999-present)
children: Four children
education: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bachelor’s degree in Law
Military service: Sayed Matkal and Maglan units in the IDF, 1990-1996, commander
religion: Jewish
His parents are immigrants from San Francisco.
He is a former technology entrepreneur and millionaire.
Bennett is considered relatively liberal on a few issues. Despite his religious background, he said that gay people “should fully enjoy all the civil rights that a heterosexual person has in Israel,” the Times of Israel reported — though he also said that did not mean he would take action to ensure legal equality.
April 18, 1996 – During his military service, Bennett leads a unit into Lebanon during Israel’s “Operation Grapes of Wrath,” in which an Israeli artillery raid near a United Nations camp killed more than 100 civilians. This incident is known as the Qana massacre.
1999 – He moves from Israel to New York to launch technology startup Cyota, a cybersecurity and anti-fraud software company.
2005 – Cyota sells to RSA Security for $145 million.
2006-2008 – He holds the position of Chief of Staff under Benjamin Netanyahu.
2009 – He has been CEO of Soluto, a software company, for several months.
January 2010-January 2012 – He serves as director of the Yesha Council, an organization that represents Jewish settlements in the West Bank and their residents.
2012 – He leads the pro-settler Jewish Home party, making his desire to prevent the formation of a Palestinian state a key element of his rhetoric to voters.
March 2013 – He was appointed Minister of Economy, Minister of Religious Services, and Minister of Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs.
November 5, 2014 – “The old models of peace between Israel and the Palestinians are no longer relevant,” he wrote in a New York Times op-ed. “It is time to rethink the two-state solution.”
February 2015 – He was appointed Acting Minister of Elderly Affairs
May 2015 – He was appointed Minister of Education and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.
October 8, 2018 – The Times of Israel reported that Bennett said that if he were defense minister, he would implement a “shoot to kill” policy on the border with Gaza. When asked if this applies to children who breach the barrier, he replied: “They are not children – they are terrorists. We are fooling ourselves.”
2019 – – Changing the name of the Jewish Home Party to “Yamina” after its merger with another party.
May 30, 2021 – Bennett announced that he is working to reach a coalition agreement with Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, to join a new government.
June 2, 2021 – Lapid announces the signing of a coalition agreement of eight parties. Under the agreement, Bennett will focus on domestic issues during his two years as prime minister, before handing over the reins to Lapid in August 2023.
June 13, 2021 – Bennett was sworn in as Israel’s new prime minister after winning a confidence vote by 60 votes to 59, bringing an end to Netanyahu’s run as the country’s prime minister after more than 12 consecutive years in office.
December 12, 2021 – Bennett travels to the United Arab Emirates to meet with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Bennett is the first Israeli prime minister to visit the United Arab Emirates.
February 14, 2022 – He travels to Bahrain to meet with Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Bennett is the first Israeli prime minister to visit Bahrain.
June 29, 2022 – Bennett announced that he would not run for re-election as prime minister, a day before Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, voted to dissolve itself, triggering new elections. Lapid, Bennett’s coalition partner, will take over as interim prime minister on July 1.
