King Bibi: The Life and Performances of Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu will soon surpass David Ben-Gurion as the longest serving prime minister of Israel.
Benjamin Netanyahu will soon surpass David Ben-Gurion as the longest serving prime minister of Israel.
Most don’t know that Netanyahu grew up in the United States, graduating from a Philadelphia high school, and attained university degrees in this country.
Most don’t remember that he was snatched from oblivion as a marketing director of a furniture company in Boston when the late Israeli Ambassador Moshe Arens hired Netanyahu as his deputy in the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C.
But as this documentary relates, Netanyahu – known by his nickname “Bibi” – had his planned corporate career in business upended. Overnight, his professional trajectory transferred to politics.
As this film recounts, Netanyahu took his new job seriously. Through dozens of videos from his many TV appearances, we see how he sought to improve his public relations style.
What may feel eerie to some American viewers is how the documentary discloses parallels between Netanyahu’s politicking and Donald Trump’s.
This film is amazingly up-to-date, while leaving open the question mark of what comes next in Netanyahu’s career. Will he be indicted for several potential counts of bribery and other misdeeds? Will he be reelected prime minister in the upcoming April 9 elections? Stay tuned!
Jan Jaben-Eilon is a long-time journalist who has dual citizenship in the United States and Israel.
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