Netanyahu set to become Israel’s longest-serving PM on July 20
July 14, 2019, 11:22 am

Netanyahu set to become Israel’s longest-serving PM on July 20

F131110EIFF04-e1384099161886-640x400

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to make history at the end of this week by becoming the longest-serving premier in Israel’s history.

He is set to surpass the country’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, on Saturday, July 20.

Ben Gurion led Israel for a total of 4,875 days — some 13 and a half years — from May 14, 1948, to January 26, 1954, and again from November 3, 1955, to June 26, 1963.

Netanyahu was prime minister between June 18, 1996, and July 6, 1999, and has also been premier consecutively since March 31, 2009.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a cabinet meeting at Kibbutz Sde Boker, Israel, November 10, 2013. A portrait of the first Israeli prime minister David Ben Gurion is seen at background. (AP Photo/David Buimovitch, Pool)

His total number of days in office as of Sunday, including Sunday, is 4,870. On Friday he is expected to match Ben-Gurion’s record and on Saturday he will break it.

Netanyahu is the third-longest-reigning current leader among OECD nations, after Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan (though he has changed the regime system to extend his own rule) and Germany’s Angela Merkel.

If past leaders of OECD nations since the end of World War II are considered, Netanyahu ranks 16th, according to statistics by the Israel Democracy Institute.

Among all currently serving leaders of nations — democratic and undemocratic — Netanyahu is number 35.

Netanyahu currently leads a transitional government until the September 17 elections, having failed to form a coalition following the April 9 Knesset vote.

He faces fraud and breach of trust charges in three corruption cases, pending a hearing, including bribery in one of them. The hearing is scheduled for early October.

However, Netanyahu is not legally required to step down until he is convicted and all his appeals against the conviction are rejected, meaning he could remain in office for several years even if convicted.

Germans fret about Merkel after shaking episodes Abbas adviser praises Nazi collaborator as 'role model'

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”