Unmasking Benjamin Netanyahu a look at his Birth Order

Benjamin Netanyahu has moved center stage in the world as 

Israel fights the terrorist group Hamas that threatens to destroy 

Israel.The first Israeli Prime Minister to be born in Israel he 

has held this position three times, in1996, 2009, and 2013. How does his  personality affect the decisions he has to make for his country and himself? Understanding his birth order is the key.  

Growing up Netanyahu

The Netanyahu family has deep roots in Israel, his Grandfather 

was a Zionist activist and his mother was born in a part of 

Palestine that would eventually become Israel. Benjamin was 

born in 1949 the second of three boys.  Older brother Yonatan, 

1946 was killed in 1976 in Uganda during Operation Entebbe.  

His youngest brother Iddo born in 1952 is a radiologist and 

writer. All the boys spent their early years in Israel but lived 

in the United States from 1956-58 and 1963-67 when their 

father worked at Cornell as a history professor. Benjamin 

graduated from Cheltenham High School in Philadelphia.   

All the brothers served in the Sayeret Matkal a special forces

unit of the Israeli army.

Changing Birth Orders from # 2 to # 1

Born the second of two boys he has all the characteristics of a

second born. They have an outgoing personality, very 

competitive and they want to control their own space.  This 

is the trait of “don’t tell me what to do” that gives #2 the 

stubborn label. He can appear charming until someone pushes 

that button and then they are up against a very formidable 

opponent. Second borns are rarely world leaders as they do 

not feel the need to tell others what to do but like the behind 

the scene support role.  In his case the death of his brother 

elevated him to the firstborn position in the family. Now he 

has to act the role of leader and protector but has the second 

born trait of holding his position. Much like Ronald Reagan 

who also had an older brother. The #2 has a very clear picture 

of right and wrong and will not change sides to serve political 

ends. Bibi has a vision for Israel that he is going to defend her 

right to survive no matter the cost.

Family and Marriages

Benjamin comes from a family of all boys. Women are

difficult for him to understand as he had no sisters.

This is a blind spot for him but he remains curious. A #2

birth order will be secretive about his personal life. As

an elevated #1 and in politics he becomes a very attractive

man to many women. Bibi has been married three times.

While his first wife was pregnant he was having an affair

with his future second wife. With his third wife he had

two sons. During this marriage he confessed on television to

having an affair with his public relations adviser when

video tapes were about to be released.  All this passed and he

and repaired his marriage.  After this information emerged

of a 20 year “friendship” with a married Italian-American

woman. This is defiantly a reoccurring issue for Bibi.

Political Career

Now that we know his real birth order let’s see how it relates

to his actions as a politician. In his first term as Prime Minister

he signed the Wye River Memorandum with Yasser Arafat in

1998. He emphasized the “three no’s” No withdrawal from the

Golan Heights, no discussion of the case of Jerusalem and no

negotiations under any preconditions.  This sounds like a #2

holding his ground.  In 2003 he took the job as Finance

Minister only after he was provided with an unprecedented 

level of independence. Second borns are very good with 

money as shown by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet both #2’s.   

He could put to use his management degree he earned from 

MIT and the experience working with the Boston Consulting 

Group where he met his colleague, Mitt Romney.

Trying to get the economy back on its feet he succeeded in

passing several long-unresolved reforms, in the banking

system. He was opposed by members of both his and the

Labor Party but he stood his ground.  He threatened to resign

in 2004  unless the plan to pull out of Gaza was put to a

referendum.   It was not and he resigned August 7, 2005. 

This is the #2 seeing the issue clearly black and white and

not giving in.   

Relationships with Foreign Leaders

Most world leaders are #1 birth orders where their self

image is the most important thing.  Working with

Bibi a #2 looking like a #1 is like oil and water.

He differed with Hillary Clinton in 2009 about a 

Palestinian state which he would not endorse, she is

a #1 birth order. His relationship with her will always 

be adversarial. With President Obama he also differed 

who is a One/Only Double birth order.(This happens 

when 4yr+ separate siblings.)

Obama demanded that settlements be stopped in

Jerusalem.  The Palestinians rejected the offer as

“insignificant.” Israel then approved the construction 

of an addition of 1600 apartments directly opposing

President Obama. Don’t tell a #2 what to do! During the

2011 G-20 summit, the Russian President Sarkozy was

overheard saying to President Obama, “I cannot bear

Netanyahu, he’s a liar”. Obama replied, “You’re fed up

with him, but I have to deal with him every day.” Bibi’s

two birth orders of both acting like a #1 and responding

like a #2 has these world leaders frustrated and confused.

The Right Man for the Job

There could not be a better man for the current job of

protecting Israel from its neighbors that threaten to

wipe it off the map.  Benjamin Netanyahu has the skills

and desire to protect Israel and its citizens.  Having

to take on the role of the firstborn after his brother’s

death has been a unique tool to deal with world

leaders. Now you can understand the man and how

and why he does what he does. He has said, “Peace

is purchased from strength.  It’s not purchased from

weakness or unilateral retreats”. His #2 side will not

let him retreat!

 

Update 12-5-23

Since this blog was published in 2014 Netanyahu now holds the title of the longest serving prime minister in the country’s history. He has served over 16 years. From 1996-1999 then 2009-2021 and now since 2022 is serving his sixth term.

 During this time, the Trump Presidency recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and Israel gained sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The Abraham Accords were brokered, normalizing agreements between Israel and some Arab states. In 2019 Netanyahu was indicted on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. After a three-year investigation, it is still unresolved.

On October 7^th 2023, Palestinian militants from Gaza launched a major surprise attack on Israel. At this time. Israel is in a state of war against Hamas. This has led to an increased dislike of Netanyahu as it is perceived a failure of leadership. There is a call for him to step down  after this conflict is resolved.  Will this number two birth order leave office or survive to continue to lead Israel?

To find out more about Birth Order and the unmasking

of the people in your life read:

Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your Path

Throughout Life. by Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst

(Also available as a DVD, USB as Audio Book as 

well as hardcover printed book)  www.lifesfingerprint.com or www.Mybirthorder.com

The Double Birth Order of Robin Williams

                                           

 

Few comedians or actors have had the impact that Robin Williams has had in his lifetime.  His acting roles have been both comedic and serious.  His humor was “off the wall” at times that only Robin could control. It was often manic and so fast that few could keep up with him. Now at age 63 he is gone.  His life has been somewhat an open book, he kept little private.  His drug and alcohol use was common knowledge. Understanding his Double birth order will give you a better insight into his personality.

 Early Years

Robin was born in Chicago July 21, 1951 to Laura McLaurin 

and Robert Williams. They moved to Bloomfield Hills 

Michigan where his father was an executive for Ford Motor 

Company. When he was 10 years old he met his two older 

brothers Todd Williams 13 yrs. older and McLaurin Smith 

4 yrs. older.  Todd was from his father’s first marriage and 

McLaurin Smith was from his mother’s first marriage. He was 

adopted by his mother’s family. Up until that time he had

no idea he had older siblings. None of the brothers lived

together but they did meet a family functions. Soon after 

that first meeting the family moved to California and 

Robin blossomed from a shy child to an outgoing high 

school student.

The Three/Only Birth Order

With the age difference between his brothers and himself Robin

now knew he was the third born but was being treated like an

Only child in his household. People who have #3 birth orders 

are very sensitive to others and the outside world. 
The phrase "Laughing on the outside crying on the
inside" is who they are. 

They can appear very shy and introspective but are really 

seeing and hearing life all around themselves.  They make 

very good actors and can be both religious and environmentally 

conscious. This sensitivity makes them vulnerable to addictions 

especially drugs and alcohol. When you add the Only 

characteristics to the #3 birth order you create an individual 

with very real conflicts.  There are two people talking to 

him. The Only child reminding him to behave and the #3 

enticing him to “give it a try”. It is the power of the Only

birth order added to the #3 birth order that gave Robin the 

power to project his brand and be successful.

Drugs and Alcohol

Throughout his life he has battled depression and substance

abuse. His three marriages and three children often found

themselves a part of his problems.  In the 70’s and 80’s it

was cocaine.  In August of 2006 he checked himself into a

substance-abuse center. He has been fighting depression

most of his adult life. In July of 2014 he entered rehab for the

second time but said it was to “fine tune his focus”. When

interviewed on Good Morning America he discussed his

addiction problem.  “It’s a little voice inside of you that says

“just one” when you can’t take just one.”  This is the

effect of his two birth orders.  The Only side says he can 

handle it, the #3 side says, “I want more.”

The High for the Three/Only

People with the Three/Only birth order want to be noticed.  

 Being on stage is a high for them and it might take the place 

of drugs and alcohol.  Maybe this is the reason Robin’s 

preforming career was so non-stop.  He shared all the 

problems in his life on stage. Was it therapy, a cry for help, 

or just another way to connect with his audience? He 

appeared shy and non-confrontational to his friends and the 

public, trying to balance his two very dissimilar birth orders 

any way he could. A tragic loss there can be no doubt.

Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst is the author of:

Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects 

Your Path Throughout Life

You can find out more information on Birth Orders in his 

book or at his website www.mybirthorder.com