LIFE: Naftali Bennett, Prime Minister Of Israel Who Had To Renounce U.S Citizenship

49-year-old Naftali Bennett was confirmed the 13th Prime Minister of Israel on June 13, 2021 bringing to an end, the tenure of 71-year-old Benjamin Netanyahu.

Naftali Bennett, a modern orthodox jew was born in Haifa into an American-Jewish immigrants family on March 25, 1972. While growing up, Bennett had lived in different countries including Israel, Canada and America.

Naftali Bennett attended High School in Haifa, Israel and became a youth leader with the religious Zionist youth organization.

In 1990, Bennett was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces where he served in the Sayeret Matkal and Maglan commando units as a company commander for six years. He subsequently attained the rank of major. 

In addition to his military career, the Prime Minister is a businessman, who built a career as a software entrepreneur and served as the Chief Executive Officer in Cyota (now RSA Security) and Soluto before they were sold.

Before venturing into politics, Bennett invested in the American fintech company 'Payoneer'. According to a 'Forbes Israel'  report in 2021, the Prime Minister is expected to make a cool $5 Million in his investment with Payoneer.

Bennett kick-started his political career after moving on from being a software entrepreneur. He joined Benjamin Netanyahu and served as his Chief of Staff from 2006 to 2008.

Naftali Bennett led a team that developed Netanyahu's educational reform plan. He also ran Netanyahu's primary campaign to lead the Likud party in August 2007. On January 31, 2010, Bennett was appointed director-general of the Yesha Council where he served until January 2012.

In the legislative elections conducted in 2013, Bennett led the party to win 12 seats in the 19th Knesset. He however had to renounce his U.S. citizenship before he could take up the seat.

Bennette had served as Minister of the Economy, Minister of Religious Services and Minister of Education. In 2018, he announced his interest in becoming the Defense Minister after Avigdor Lieberman's resignation. 

Netanyahu rejected Bennett's request and stated that he would take the position instead.

In December 2018, Bennett was among the Jewish Home MKs to leave the party and form the breakaway 'New Right party. Unfortunately, the New Right party narrowly failed to cross the electoral threshold of 2019 and as a result, Bennett did not gain a seat in the 21st Knesset.

Netanyahu dismissed Bennett from the government in 2019 and the New Right formed an electoral alliance with the Jewish Home and National Union-Tkuma, named the United Right which was subsequently renamed 'Yamina'.

Yamina won six seats in that January 2020 election and seven seats in the March 2021, election.

Bennett announced on May 30, 2021, his interest to serve as prime minister in a potential unity government until August 2023, when ' Yasir Lapid' would take over as Alternate Prime Minister of Israel.

The new government under Bennett was confirmed by parliament on June 13, with a majority of just one vote, ending the rule of right-wing conservative premier Benjamin Netanyahu, who had been in office since 2009.

Although Bennett has voiced his support for LGBTQ rights, saying "they deserve all of the civil rights," he, however, stated in late 2020 that he had no plans to push for policy changes to help LGBTQ people.

The Prime Minister is married to Gilat, who is a professional pastry chef. The couple have four children.