Benjamin Netanyahu, a 1967 graduate of Cheltenham High School and Israeli Prime Minister, made headlines in The New York Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer today regarding a recent petition calling for his removal from the district’s hall of fame.

According to their coverage, a petition signed by more than 200 students was received by Cheltenham’s alumni association last month. The request for his removal reportedly involves his indictment on corruption charges and an arrest warrant issued for him by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

“No determination has been made at this point,” Kevin Kaufman, Cheltenham School District’s spokesperson, told The Inquirer.

“We understand that this is a topic of deep concern to some members of our diverse school community as well as the broader public,” Cheltenham’s superintendent, Brian Scriven, said in a statement Friday. “Given the complexities involved and the heightened public discourse, we must proceed in a deliberate manner. The district is focused on ensuring all internal processes — from selection committee meetings to candidate evaluation criteria — are conducted fairly and consistently and with collaboration among all constituents.

Netanyahu was inducted in 1999. Last week, he sat down with Mark Levin, a 1974 CHS graduate, to talk hostages, Gaza, and Trump. During their conversation, he confirmed his nomination of President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and hinted at a future nomination of Levin for Cheltenham’s hall of fame.

“You’re in the hall of fame in our high school. They won’t vote me in,” Levin said. You can watch that segment of the interview here.

“Next time I’m here, we go down to Cheltenham High School, near Philadelphia, and I’ll nominate you for the hall of fame,” Netanyahu told Levin.

“In Cheltenham, a racially and religiously diverse Philadelphia suburb, the televised reminiscence intensified a debate about whether either man deserves to be honored by their alma mater,” Kenneth P. Vogel, also a Cheltenham High School graduate, wrote in The Times’ coverage.

Netanyahu graduated fourth in his class and was a National Letter of Commendation winner. In addition to the soccer team, he was a member of the chess club and the debate team. For more on his time as an Elkins Park resident, you can read Glenside Local’s previous coverage here.

You can also read our previous coverage of his brother, Jonathan “Yoni” Netanyahu, a 1964 graduate of Cheltenham High School.

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Photo: 1967 El Delator yearbook courtesy of Chuck Langerman