Benjamin Netanyahu was first elected prime minister of Israel on May 29, 1996, by a margin of about 1 percent over Shimon Peres. Netanyahu became the youngest person ever to serve as Israel’s prime minister when he formed a government on June 18, 1996. His first term as prime minister ended in 1999, when he was succeeded by Ehud Barak, leader of the Labour Party.
Netanyahu was again prime minister from 2009 to 2021. His third term began in 2022.