Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu

For many in Israel and elsewhere, Benjamin Netanyahu is anathema, an embarrassment; yet he continues to dominate Israeli public life. How can we explain his rise, his hold on Israeli politics, and his outsized role on the world's stage? In Bibi, Anshel Pfeffer reveals the formative influence of Netanyahu's father and grandfather, who bequeathed to him a once-marginal brand of Zionism combining Jewish nationalism with religious traditionalism. In the Zionist enterprise, Netanyahu embodies the triumph of the underdogs over the secular liberals who founded the nation. Netanyahu's Israel is a hybrid of ancient phobia and high-tech hope; of tribalism and globalism -- just like the man himself. We cannot understand Israel today without first understanding the man who leads it.

About the Author :
Anshel Pfefferhas covered Israeli politics and global affairs for two decades. He is a senior correspondent and columnist forHaaretzand the Israel correspondent for theEconomist.He lives in Jerusalem.

Review :
'Certain to elicit both consternation and praise, Anshel Pfeffer’s book is a fascinating exploration of the complex ideological and familial foundations that continue to shape the thinking and governing of the man who may soon become Israel’s longest serving Prime Minster. This is a book that will lead both Bibi’s friends as well as his foes to see him a new — and infinitely more nuanced — light.' 'An unsparing examination of the Israeli prime minister's rise to power. Journalist Pfeffer, Israeli correspondent for the Economist and senior correspondent for Haaretz, makes his literary debut with a biting portrait of Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu . . . a perceptive history of a beleaguered nation and one deeply flawed leader.' 'Riveting and passionately critical. . . a must-read for everyone who is interested in the undercurrents of today's Israeli society.' 'Anshel Pfeffer's biography is superbly timed . . . insightful and readable. . . Bibi, obsessed by hostile "left-wing" media, complained pre-emptively that this biography would be a "cartoon." It is not: It fleshes out a superficially familiar and invariably quotable figure with a wealth of background information and analysis that provide necessary and, of course, often highly critical context.' 'Anyone who seeks to understand [Netanyahu's] mercurial rise and the way it has shaped modern Israel would do well to read this insightful biography by Anshel Pfeffer . . . a sober and erudite profile of a man who has made himself necessary to his country through sheer force of will.' ‘This excellent biography . . . is a dark record of the astute helmsman of Israel’s recent history.’ ‘Riveting and passionately critical. . . a must-read for everyone who is interested in the undercurrents of today’s Israeli society.’ ‘A detailed, revealing, and shrewd biography that is packed with fascinating insights . . . taking full advantage of the author’s vantage point as a bilingual journalist, alive to the subtleties of both Israeli and diaspora Jewish life, it is for now the definitive portrait of Netanyahu.’  '['Bibi'] is exhaustively researched … Most damning is Pfeffer’s take on Netanyahu’s relations with leaders of authoritarian regimes.' 'Excellent.'  ‘An insightful examination of the most dominant figure in recent Israeli political history . . . both timely and much welcomed. . . . The picture Pfeffer paints of both Bibi and the Netanyahu family is a fascinating one, full of contradictions and paradoxes.’ 'Benjamin Netanyahu has turned out to be much more than the temporary speed bump in Israeli politics his critics once imagined. In this lively and trenchant biography, Anshel Pfeffer explains why and how Bibi came to dominate and embody the changing face of the remarkable and divided nation he still leads.' 'Anshel Pfeffer has given us an understanding, even compassionate, portrait of Benjamin Netanyahu -- the family, the formative experiences, the logic of his belligerent ideology -- while keeping his distance from Netanyahu’s stances and exposing many of the unpleasant truths that lie beneath the surface Netanyahu works so hard to polish. Essential reading.' 'Weaving together stories from Netanyahu's time in America and Israel, and from his family history, military service, and political career, Anshel Pfeffer's fascinating and insightful biography paints a portrait of the indomitable outsider who became Israel's three-time prime minister. This riveting account illuminates the ways in which the man leading Israel today is both a product and a beneficiary of bitter divides that have shaped the nation's politics from its earliest days.'