Benjamin Netanyahu Recalls His Powerful Meeting with the Lubavitcher Rebbe

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had the opportunity to meet the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory. In an interview with Ben Ben Baruch, he recalled the unforgettable encounter.

"It was on Simchat Torah, I believe in 1984," Netanyahu said. "At the time, I was Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. I spoke to him in English because I wasn't sure whether he spoke Hebrew. I said, 'Rebbe, I came to see you.' He looked at me and replied, 'Only to see me? Not to talk?'"

"We began talking, and the conversation lasted about 40 minutes, in Hebrew. After the first five minutes, I realized everything was fine. After ten minutes, I could hear murmurs from the crowd because I was taking up so much of the Rebbe's time. When the conversation ended, he turned around and descended from the platform carrying the Torah scrolls. We danced together in the center of the hall, surrounded by a radiant glow. At that moment, I felt as though I was witnessing the eternity of the Jewish people. It was deeply moving."

Asked what the Rebbe told him during their conversation, Netanyahu replied:

"He said to me, 'You are now going to the house of eternal falsehood.' That was how he referred to the United Nations. Then he added, 'Remember that you are entering a place of great darkness. But if you light even one candle of truth, its light will be seen from far away.'"

Netanyahu continued: "I told him that I intended to return to Israel and run for a seat in the Knesset. He replied, 'But there is great work to be done here.' I answered, 'Yes, but there as well.' Then he said, 'Go. You will receive great support from Heaven, but you will have to contend with 119.' There are days when I know he was right — about that, and about many other things."