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Who is Benjamin Netanyahu?
Profile

Benjamin Netanyahu was born in Tel Aviv in 1949, the year after the State of Israel was founded. One of three brothers, Netanyahu spent much of his early years in the United States pursuing his education.

But following his older brother’s death, Netanyahu found himself drawn into a career in the public eye. Using his military experience to advise on security matters, in 1984 Netanyahu became Israel’s Ambassador to the UN and established himself as a champion of Israel on the international stage. But soon, his attention was drawn closer to home.

He returned to Israel and entered the world of politics; in 1993, he became the leader of the Likud party, and was elected prime minister in 1996, a position he's held for much of the following decades.

During his time in power Netanyahu has tried to portray himself as Israel’s protector. However, in recent years, allegations of corruption and lapses in national security have damaged his reputation and polarised Israelis' views about him. His handling of the conflict in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7th attacks has drawn criticism at home and abroad.

Now, Netanyahu has joined forces with the US president Donald Trump to conduct what they termed as ‘major combat operations’ against Iran. But will this war restore Netanyahu’s reputation as ‘Mr Security’, or draw Israel into another intractable conflict?

Mark Coles profiles the longest-serving Israeli prime minister.

Production details:
Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Nick Holland and Mhairi MacKenzie
Production Coordinator: Sabine Schereck
Sound: Morgan Roberts
Editor: Justine Lang

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28 minutes

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#PeteHegseth #Iran

Pete Hegseth
Profile

2026-03-07 1900-1915

It’s been a busy first year for the US Defense Secretary. From signal chat controversies to Operation Epic Fury, Pete Hegseth has been making headlines.

Born in Minneapolis in 1980, Hegseth had what could be described as an ‘All-American’ upbringing. A basketball player at school he continued playing during his University career at Princeton where he majored in Politics. He also enrolled in the ROTC (reserve officers’ training corps) which turned out to be a career defining decision.

After stints in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hegseth returned home and began his career on the political side lines - heading up two veterans charities. But his campaigning job dried up after a whistle blower report alleged he was drunk and abusive at work. Next he moved to Fox News where he caught the eye of President Trump, a notorious consumer of the right wing network. This was the beginning of Hegseth’s meteoric rise to power.

His confirmation for Defense Secretary hearing saw him answer questions about sexual assault allegations and claims he didn’t have enough experience for the job. But Hegseth successfully defended himself and was soon installed at the Pentagon.

Mark Coles explores how he got there.

Production Team:
Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Annabel Deas and Katie Solleveld
Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Gemma Ashman
Sound: Neil Churchill
Editor: Justine Lang

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002scl3