Netanyahu makes TIME 100 as war and controversy shape his global standing

Time magazine has named Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu among its 100 most influential people of 2026, marking his fifth appearance on the annual list.

In the accompanying profile, Ian Bremmer wrote that the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel initially left Netanyahu in “political wilderness,” with his career appearing to be in jeopardy. However, he argued that Netanyahu staged a political comeback following Israel’s 12-day war with Iran last June, alongside what he described as the degradation of Hamas and Hezbollah and the return of the last 20 living Israeli hostages from Gaza in October 2025. Bremmer noted that these achievements may have strengthened Netanyahu’s political standing in Israel. adding that his resurgence could be seen as comparable to U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House after securing a second term in the 2024 election. Trump was also included on the TIME list for the eighth time.

A recent poll in Israel, however, indicates that Netanyahu and his Likud party have slipped in popularity following the two-week ceasefire between the United States and the Iranian regime. The majority of Israelis believe the war against Iran is not finished and are opposed to the ceasefire.

Bremmer also noted that Netanyahu’s legacy abroad was challenged by the Israeli government’s expansion of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria (West Bank); the ongoing fighting with Iran's terror proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah; and the large number of casualties in Gaza.

Statistics show that Israel is experiencing declining support among younger voters in the United States and across the broader Western world. A Gallup poll in February found that 41% of U.S. respondents expressed greater support for Palestinians, compared to 36% who said they supported Israel.

TIME also named U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, a close Trump associate who has played a central role in Washington’s regional diplomacy. In his profile, Brian Bennett credited Witkoff with helping secure the Hamas–Israel ceasefire and the release of the last 20 living Israeli hostages in October 2025, as well as negotiating the release of U.S. citizen Marc Fogel from Russia in a prisoner exchange. Witkoff also reportedly influenced Trump’s decision to join Israel’s war against Iran, after concluding in talks with Iranian officials that Tehran was not acting in good faith on its nuclear program.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was also included on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential individuals.

Other prominent individuals on this year's list include Pope Leo XIV, Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, David Ellison, the son of Oracle co-founder Larry David, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi and the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine.