May 30, 1996: The Rise of Benjamin Netanyahu

May 30, 1996: Likud (meaning "Consolidation"), the main conservative party in Israel, wins the general election, ending the Labor Party's run of power after 4 years. Shimon Peres, interim Prime Minister following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, is out. Benjamin Netanyahu is in.

Although born in Tel Aviv, "Bibi" and his brother, Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu grew up outside Philadelphia in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. Both graduated from Cheltenham High School, Yoni graduating in the Class of 1964 alongside future Baseball Hall-of-Famer Reggie Jackson.

Both brothers detested what they saw as the permissiveness in 1960s American culture, and went back to Israel. Yoni served in the 1967 Six-Day War, which happened right before Bibi graduated, but he moved back and enlisted shortly thereafter. Yoni would be killed in the 1976 rescue of Israeli citizens on a hijacked plane at Entebbe Airport in Uganda.

Benjamin Netanyahu was first elected to Israel's Parliament, the Knesset, in 1988, and was named Likud’s chairman in 1993. He became the country’s youngest Prime Minister, 46. But after only 3 years, the country tired of his belligerence, his corruption, and his womanizing – it was like electing a Jewish version of Newt Gingrich – and he was defeated in the next election, and resigned his seat, expecting never to return to politics.

When Likud returned to power in 2001, he was brought back by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. In 2003, they split, and Sharon founded a new party. Sharon's 2006 stroke gave Likud their next chance, and Netanyahu formed a new coalition after the 2009 election. He has now become the country's longest-lasting Prime Minister.

But he couldn't stop his warmongering or his corruption. He has been indicted, but the case has never been resolved.

UPDATE: Netanyahu has basically stayed in power by claiming that only he can protect Israel from its enemies, who want to wipe the country off the map: Their slogan is, "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free." (The Jordan River, and the Mediterranean Sea.) Except the Palestinians have proven that they don't believe in freedom for anybody.

But on October 7, 2023, Hamas proved that Netanyahu couldn't protect Israel from its enemies. He should have resigned in disgrace, or been removed by his own party. Instead, like George W. Bush after 9/11, he used his greatest failure (so far) as the reason why he should stay on.

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May 30, 1996 was a Thursday. In the NBA Playoffs, Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals was played at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The Utah Jazz beat the Seattle SueprSonics, 118-83. But the Sonics won Game 7 in Seattle, before losing the NBA Finals to the Chicago Bulls.

Game 6 was also played in the NHL Eastern Conference Finals. The Florida Panthers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-3 at the Miami Arena, to force a Game 7 in Pittsburgh. The Panthers won that, but were swept in the Stanley Cup Finals by the Colorado Avalanche.

Football was out of season. There were 5 games played in Major League Baseball:

* The New York Mets beat the San Francisco Giants, 1-0 at Shea Stadium. Paul Wilson pitched 8 innings of 3-hit shutout ball, and John Franco completed the 4-hit shutout. The only run came in the bottom of the 8th, when José Vizcaíno singled Rey Ordóñez home.

* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The Dodgers led 3-0 before the Phillies scored a run in the 8th on a home run by Mike Lieberthal, and 2 in the 9th on a home run by Mark Whiten, a single by Mickey Morandini, a walk by Benito Santiago, and a single by Pete Incaviglia.

* The Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, 8-2 at the new Comiskey Park (now Rate Field) in Chicago.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 2-0 at Milwaukee County Stadium. Charles Nagy pitched 7 innings of 6-hit shutout ball. Three relievers finished a 7-hit shutout.

* And the Boston Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners, 10-1 at the Kingdome in Seattle. Milt Cuyler hit 2 home runs for the Sox, and Jose Canseco hit a grand slam. The Mariners' only run came on a home run by Paul Sorrento, while Ken Griffey Jr. went 0-for-2 with a walk.