Benjamin Netanyahu shortlisted for TIME Person of the Year

TIME magazine has announced that Isaeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is among the finalists for the 2024 Person of the Year award.

In contrast to last year's honoree, Taylor Swift, who was recognized for the unprecedented global influence of her Eras Tour, this year's nominees have been primarily selected based on their political significance, whether positive or negative.

TIME characterized Netanyahu as “one of the most influential and controversial world leaders this year,” highlighting his role during the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Northern Arrows, with particular emphasis on the widely publicized Hezbollah pager incident in September.

Netanyahu is joined by other prominent political figures, including Vice President Kamala Harris and President-elect Donald Trump, as well as notable personalities such as Elon Musk and Joe Rogan.

All candidates have been previously featured by TIME, including Netanyahu, who was recognized as one of the top 100 most influential people in 2019.

The announcement of the finalists on social media has incited considerable backlash, with many arguing that Harris should be excluded from the list following her loss in the 2024 election, while others assert that Trump should be the 'obvious' selection.

"[Harris] is the worst person of the year who tried to ruin the country and kill babies," commented one user on X/Twitter, adding, "Trump should be the person of the year."

Another user remarked, “I don't think even Netanyahu wants that kind of attention. He is managing numerous challenging issues.”