JERUSALEM, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Here are five facts about Benjamin Netanyahu, whose Likud party narrowly trailed Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's Kadima party in exit polls after voting ended in Israel's parliamentary election on Tuesday.

* Netanyahu has said he opposes major concessions to the Palestinians in peace talks, which he said should focus on shoring up the economy of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. But many believe he would resume U.S.-backed peace talks once in office.

* The U.S.-educated Netanyahu, 59, has said he would not build new Jewish settlements in the West Bank but would allow existing settlements to expand. Israel has allowed construction in existing settlements for what it calls natural growth needs.

* Known in Israel by his boyhood nickname "Bibi", Netanyahu served as prime minister from 1996 to 1999. During his term he handed over part of the West Bank city of Hebron to the Palestinians.

* Netanyahu is widely credited in Israel for helping the country out of recession as finance minister in 2003, when he won market praise for cutting taxes and social spending while carrying out fiscal and free market reforms. He is a strong advocate of limited government interference in the economy.

* A former member of an elite commando unit, Netanyahu is also a self-styled terrorism expert, writing books and forming a think-tank after his brother was killed during a raid to release Israeli hostages held at Entebbe airport in Uganda in 1976. (Jerusalem newsroom, Editing by Janet Lawrence) (For blogs and links on Israeli politics and other Israeli and Palestinian news, go to http://blogs.reuters.com/axismundi)

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