Dr. Avishay Ben Haim: Netanyahu Is “One of the Most Important Leaders in Jewish History”

Ben Haim on Netanyahu

Journalist Dr. Avishay Ben Haim said on The Patriots that his view of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has changed, and that he now values him even more than he did in the past.

“I changed my mind about Bibi,” Ben Haim said. “I used to think he was one of the most important leaders in the history of the State of Israel. Today, I value him even more. He is one of the most important leaders in the history of the Jewish people as a whole.”

A Major Voice on Israeli Society

Ben Haim is one of Israel’s most prominent commentators on politics, Haredi society, Shas, Mizrahi identity, and the divide between Israel’s old elites and the communities he often describes as “Second Israel.”

That background gives his comments additional weight. Ben Haim has long argued that Netanyahu is not only a political leader for many Israelis, but also a symbol of representation for traditional, Mizrahi, religious, and peripheral communities that felt excluded from Israel’s centers of power.

More Than Politics

In that context, Ben Haim’s statement was not only praise for Netanyahu’s years in office. It framed Netanyahu as a figure whose importance reaches beyond Israeli politics.

By saying Netanyahu belongs among the most important leaders in Jewish history, Ben Haim placed him in a much wider story: the story of Jewish survival, sovereignty, leadership, and national identity.

Netanyahu remains one of the most debated leaders in Israel. But for Ben Haim, the conclusion is clear: his role is no longer only political. In his view, Netanyahu has become a historic Jewish figure.