Thread by @TzviAlperowitz

In honor of @netanyahu’s birthday, here’s a little thread about the warm and strong relationship between Netanyahu & the Lubavitcher Rebbe:

Simchat Torah 1984, as the packed hall prepared to begin Hakafot, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, approached the Rebbe.

Netanyahu: I came to see you.

Rebbe: Only to see? Not to talk?

The Rebbe must have seen something in Bibi, & a 40 min conversation ensued:

Rebbe: You’re serving in the UN. It’s a house of darkness & lies. But even in the darkest places, a little candle can be seen from afar.

This message strongly resonated with Netanyahu.

After a fearless UN speech in 2009, Bibi told reporters he got the strength from the Rebbe’s words.

The following year, Bibi opened his speech in the UN quoting those words from the Rebbe.

Here’s a photo of Netanyahu receiving a piece of honey cake from the Rebbe as customary on Hoshana Rabba:

“They spoke for a while. The Rebbe encouraged Netanyahu to keep his position in the UN” (Student Diary).

Shortly thereafter, Netanyahu came to console the Rebbe at the shiva of his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka.

“Until Netanyahu came, the Rebbe looked sad and didn’t contain his tears. This is the first time we saw him smile”. (Student Diary)

Take a listen:

When Bibi spoke at a press conference in Israel that spring (1988), the Rebbe sent him a message:

“I enjoyed reading about the unapologetic tone of your speech, and I was happy that it made an impact (as evident from the responses it received). I will pray for you at the Ohel.”

Leaving the US to join the Knesset, Netanyahu parted from the Rebbe with a letter:

“Thank you for the great moral encouragement during my service in the UN... Your unreserved support for our right to Israel always encouraged me, often during the toughest moments.”

The Rebbe responds:

"To a great defender of the Land & People of Israel in the UN...
..May your move to Israel be an 'aliyah' in all matters, and be sure to continue utilizing your talents & capabilities."

"His letter touched me then & touches me today," Bibi said recently.

After his first speech in the Knesset, Netanyahu visited again:

"You will have to struggle with 119 people. But don’t be afraid, because G-d is on this side”.

These words meant a lot to Bibi, and he often quotes them.

“(Netanyahu means a) Gift from G-d”, the Rebbe concluded.

When @YairNetanyahu was born, the Rebbe sent a Mazal Tov letter to Bibi, concluding with a handwritten wish using the new boy’s name:

“Ve’Yair Mazlom - May your Mazal shine.”

When the Rebbe passed away in 1994, Netanyahu, then Israel’s opposition leader, flew to N.Y. to attend the Rebbe’s funeral.

Pictured, Netanyahu stands alongside the Rebbe’s coffin while the heavens weep.

After winning his first election, Netanyahu visits the Rebbe’s resting place to pay his respects and honor the memory of a leader who loved him dearly.

“The Rebbe changed the world and impacted me greatly. I will forever remember him”.