GOVERNMENT

Naftali Bennett

Prime Minister of Israel

Forty-nine-year-old Naftali Bennett became Israel’s Prime Minister in June 2021, following an election victory over his rival Benjamin Netanyahu, the incumbent since 2009. The leader of the nationalist Yamina Party, Bennett is scheduled to remain in office until September 2023 when he will rotate with current Foreign Minister Yair Lapid under the terms of their coalition government. The son of American Jews who made Aliyah to Israel, the Haifa-born Bennett rose to the rank of Major in the IDF and went on to become a millionaire in Israel’s burgeoning technology sector. Bennett paid his first visit to the US as Prime Minister in September, where he issued a resounding warning on Iran in a speech to the UN General Assembly. “Iran’s great goal is crystal clear to anybody who cares to open their eyes: Iran seeks to dominate the region — and seeks to do so under a nuclear umbrella,” Bennett said. “Israel is, quite literally, surrounded by Hezbollah, Shia militias, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas. These terror groups seek to dominate the Middle East and spread radical Islam across the world. They all want to destroy my country, and they are all backed by Iran.” (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)