Mr. Netanyahu has fought for years for his right to live in the prime minister’s official residence, which he inherited from his father when he retired from the military in 1975. The building stands in the hilltop neighborhood of Mount Herzl and is located across the street from his official residence and neighboring residences of aides. Mr. Netanyahu spent several years living in the unofficial residence of the minister of interior while the official residence was renovated.
Mr. Netanyahu was born in 1954 and was raised in Jerusalem by his parents, Benzion and Avital, both doctors. After leaving high school, he decided to head to the U.S. to study law. In the 1980s, Mr. Netanyahu founded the Institute for National Security Studies.
Mr. Netanyahu made a name for himself on Wall Street as a financial analyst, helping several start-ups. He became a partner in the investment firm Joseph Abramson, a partner at the management consulting firm Mossad, and president of Havtas, the Israeli multinational home appliance giant. Following the collapse of his various investment ventures in the early 2000s, Mr. Netanyahu focused on Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. He was turned down by the Palestinian Authority as a peace negotiator in 1999, the year the Palestinian intifada started. In 2006, Mr. Netanyahu was defeated for the party leadership by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. In 2011, Mr. Netanyahu was elected the head of the Likud Party. He survived a court challenge for “violating the appearance of impartiality” by being elected in 2007 with an overwhelming lead.