Benjamin Netanyahu ’s early years in the United States have come into focus after the Israeli prime minister addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday. Netanyahu, who has an arrest request from the International Criminal Court for potential war crimes, attacked countries and politicians who have criticized him harshly.
His family later relocated to Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where his father, historian and editor Benzion Netanyahu, accepted a teaching position at Dropsie College, a Jewish studies institution in Philadelphia. At Cheltenham High School, he participated in the chess club, played soccer and joined the science seminar. He was also recognized academically and received a National Merit Letter of Commendation. He focused heavily on academics, debate and politics. His religious beliefs also meant he avoided some aspects of typical high school social life. He was accepted to Yale University, but he never enrolled. His entry to the field of diplomacy and politics is marked by the tragedy of death. He eventually served as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, a member of the Knesset and prime minister across multiple terms. He became Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.
Netanyahu was born on October 21, 1949, in Tel Aviv, Israel, according to biographical records. Netanyahu graduated from Cheltenham High School in 1967, ranking fourth in a class of 534 students, according to local reports. His brother Jonathan Netanyahu’s death during the 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue operation influenced his decision to become involved in public service.
Former classmates remembered him as a serious student with strong interest in history and international affairs, according to Billy Pen . Classmates said Netanyahu stood apart from many teenagers of his age. His family returned to Israel around the time of the Six-Day War between Israel and Arab states, according to Montco .
The future prime minister spent part of his adolescence in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, after his family moved from Israel to the US in the early 1960s.
Long before he became one of Israel’s most influential and controversial leaders, Netanyahu was known as “Ben” among classmates in the Philadelphia suburbs.
