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==Prime Minister of Israel==

==Prime Minister of Israel==

In 1988, Netanyahu returned to Israel and was elected as a member of the [[Knesset]], the legislator of Israel. During the 1991 [[Persian Gulf War]] Netanyahu was a member of Israeli delegation to the Madrid Peace Conference, which was the first direct negotiations between Israel and [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], and a joint [[Jordanian]]-[[Palestinian]] delegation. In 1993, Netanyahu became chairman of the right-of-center Likud party. He was elected Israel's 9th Prime Minister in 1996 and sworn in after the approval of the Knesset. During his three year term the number of terror attacks  in Israel drastically decreased. On economics he governed as a free-market conservative, accelerated privatization of government-owned companies and reduced the budget deficit. By the time of Netanyahu's reelection he had alienated the political left, while also the political right for his negotiations with [[Yasser Arafat]] and the Palestinians. He was defeated in May 1999 by Ehud Barak.  

In 1988, Netanyahu returned to Israel and was elected as a member of the [[Knesset]], the legislator of Israel. During the 1991 [[Persian Gulf War]] Netanyahu was a member of Israeli delegation to the Madrid Peace Conference, which was the first direct negotiations between Israel and [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], and a joint [[Jordanian]]-[[Palestinian]] delegation. In 1993, Netanyahu became chairman of the right-of-center Likud party. He was elected Israel's 9th Prime Minister in 1996 and sworn in after the approval of the Knesset. During his three-year term the number of terror attacks  in Israel drastically decreased. On economics he governed as a free-market conservative, accelerated privatization of government-owned companies and reduced the budget deficit. By the time of Netanyahu's reelection he had alienated the political left, while also the political right for his negotiations with [[Yasser Arafat]] and the Palestinians. He was defeated in May 1999 by Ehud Barak.  

[[Image:BenjaminNetanyahu452.jpg|right|Benjamin Netanyahu press conference, 02/20/09.|thumb]]

[[Image:BenjaminNetanyahu452.jpg|right|Benjamin Netanyahu press conference, 02/20/09.|thumb]]

From 2003 through 2005 Netanyahu served as Finance Minister in the [[Ariel Sharon]] administration. He advocated policies that reduced government, strengthened the private sector, cut taxes, and privatized pensions. During his tenure [[unemployment]] dropped and the Israeli economy went from shrinking 1% to growing 4.2% in 2004.<ref>http://www.netanyahu.org/biography.html</ref> On February 10, 2009 legislative elections, the right-wing parties won a majority of seats in the Knesset, and they selected Netanyahu to serve a second term as Prime Minister. He was sworn in on March 13, 2009.

From 2003 through 2005 Netanyahu served as Finance Minister in the [[Ariel Sharon]] administration. He advocated policies that reduced government, strengthened the private sector, cut taxes, and privatized pensions. During his tenure [[unemployment]] dropped and the Israeli economy went from shrinking 1% to growing 4.2% in 2004.<ref>http://www.netanyahu.org/biography.html</ref> On February 10, 2009 legislative elections, the right-wing parties won a majority of seats in the Knesset, and they selected Netanyahu to serve a second term as Prime Minister. He was sworn in on March 13, 2009.