United Nations, NY – In his official speech Thursday at the UN, Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu minced no words decrying the “perversion of truth” and the “perversion of justice” emanating from the UN’s Goldstone report accusing Israel of war crimes during the Gaza strike.
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“The UN is undermining its own legitimacy by siding with terrorists over their victims,” he charged.
Netanyahu began his speech decrying the fact that Holocaust denier, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad has a platform at the UN for espousing his lies. The Israeli Prime Minister castigated delegates who gave the Iranian President an audience.
Following his impassioned speech, Netanyahu spoke with members of the Israeli media. In answer to one journalist who asked whether he might not be lending credibility to Ahmadenijad by addressing his denial of the Holocaust, Netanyahu chose to focus on a prescient experience he had with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, 25 years ago.
“Let me tell you something,” said Netanyahu. “In 1984, after I came to the UN as Israel’s Ambassador, I met the Rebbe of Lubavitch. He began speaking to me—he spoke to me for 40 minutes.
PM Netanyahu meeting the Lubavitcher Rebbe Zt’l 1988 by “dollars” Video below
Video below PM Netanyahu interview with Israeli media talking about his UN Speech
“You know what he told me, back in 1984?” Netanyahu asked.
“He told me, ‘you are going to the UN—a place of deep darkness and lies, and if you will light one candle of truth, you will dispel the darkness.’
“That is what I tried to do here—to present the truth clearly and with confidence.”
Later in the evening, Netanyahu spoke to Jewish community leaders at the 92nd Street Y. Introduced by Alan Solow, Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, and by Elie Wiesel, the Prime Minister spoke at length about his meeting with the Rebbe when he arrived at the UN as Israel’s Ambassador.
“You will go into a house of lies,” he said the Rebbe told him, referring to the UN. Netanyahu pointed out the lies that emanating from the UN regarding Israel–lies about Israel as the aggressor and lies about the Holocaust. To dispel the lies and the darkness, the Rebbe told him, he must “light a candle of truth.”
Netanyahu appealed to his audience to do likewise, and “light a candle for truth and justice for the Jewish people,” this Yom Kippur.
we say in the mishna
“he who says something in the name of the pearson who says it brings redemption to the world”
If only the Israeli government would take more advice from the Tzaddikim. 25 years ago The Rebbe gave the then Ambassador the advice & knowledge he needed yesterday as The Prime Minister. The wisdom of a Rebbe & a Tazaddik. If Netanyahu will continue in the Derech of Hashem and continue to solicit and heed the advice of the Tzaddikim he will find success in all his efforts & missions.
We see here the power of the Lubavitcher Rebbe! Even 15 years after his passing – he is still having a powerfull affect on Kllal Yisroel. We really need more Gedolim and Manhigim in his caliber!
I don’t consider myself a Lubavitcher, but i feel that the Lubavitcher Rebbe, may his merit shield us, is the leader of klal ysroel. Never in history did we have a man who cared for KLAL yisroel like the lubavitcher Rebbe did. I saw amazing stories (i myself had a amazing miracle), but I saw that he’s not only a ‘miracle rebbe’, rather a lieder. This we see through himself, his schluchim all over beeing mekarv yidden to yidishkeit and through his constant guidance that remains till this very day through the Ohel, and the blessings. I found a great website about him http://www.therebbe.org
Netanyahu’s speech will find it’s place among the other momentous speeches of history as it, literally, defined the times in which we live. While that assembly and the world at large is not yet prepared to sit through a shlaimus ha’aretz sicha of the Rebbe, that speech was nothing less than a groiseh “hir tzu” to the entire world – including the Jewish people. After a speech like this, when the proper time arrives as it surely will b’koruv, no one will even attempt to hide behind a “we didn’t know.” But more importantly it might serve to win back the the hearts and minds of basically good and decent people.
WHAT ABOUT THE ADVISE HE GAVE CONCERNING NOT GIVING UP AN INCH OF ERETZ YISROEL TO THE ARABS??
WE SEE IN RETROSPECT HE WAS 100% RIGHT AS GIVING ARABS GAZA STILL HASNT BROUGHT ISRAEL THE PEACE IT SEEKS AND ONLY BRINGS THE MISSILES THAT MUCH CLOSER INTO ISRAEL
YOU CANT PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO
IF THE REBBE WAS PROVEN CORRECT REGARDING THE UN
HE’S CORRECT AS WELL REGARDING ISRAELI POLICIES AT HOME
It is amazing to see the impact the Lubavitcher Rebbe made on him that he recalls his meeting back in 1984 so well and it served as a guide to him in his speech to the UN in 2009.
I would hope that he would listen to the Lubavitcher Rebbe advice regarding other matter of Israel.
to hear the israeli prime minister quoting and using the advice of the rebbe in such a context is amazing!it seems to be some light coming into the goverment and therefore the medina as wel l.lHashem should give lots of koach to the pm.
I’m not a Lubavitcher Chosid, although I saw the Rebbe several times, but we Chassidim from other Rebbes have to admit that he was a unique and great leader, doing what is right without losing sight of his mission. For all of you who don’t know I’ll let you into a secret. All of our great leaders spoke in private and encouraged people of promise (as Natanyahu was at that time) with their wisdom. I know of many such stories, but most of it we’ll never know.
My cousin was with Bibi Netanyahu & the Rebbe on that Simchas Torah in 770; he was part of the Israeli delegation to the UN . My husband had taken him to 770 on Simchas Torah & afterward he (cousin) was mobbed by Chassidim who wanted to know what the Rebbe said. There was a lot more, but my cousin felt it was very private & pertinent & he only shared a tiny, vague portion with us, his family, even though we wanted to know every word the Rebbe said! He did return with a bottle of Mashka that the Rebbe told him to take to the Consulate to give everyone who worked there a L’chaim & to pass on to the people there what the Rebbe said, which was every inch of Eretz Yiosroel belongs to the Jews & they weren’t to give up any part of it (paraphrased.)
My cousin, who is not Chabad & went on to achieve high office as an Ambassador, was very impressed with the Rebbe’s knowledge of Israeli & mid-East politics at the time. He is still to this day very concerned about our safety & welfare in CH, as well as (obviously) that of EY & Klal Yisrael, & kept in touch with people close to the Rebbe for many years. And he also recalls everything…once you see & speak to the Rebbe you don’t forget the experience!
guys thanks for the video from 1984 but the advice bibi is reffering to is the advice he recieved on simchas torah by hakofos. just clairifying
Kol Hakavod CHABAD.
holy cow – how amazing – he was so in control in the UN with that speech I don’t recall being so mesmerized as I was hearing it….to read and hear were this is coming from is also amazing indeed. He should (rather e”y gov’t) have listened to all the rebbe’s advice I believe the rebbe was very very adamant about giving back any land as it shows weakness…but regardless this is all very amazing.
i liked his speech.
BH
The video you posted is from 1988 by “dollars”. The 1984 meeting was before Hakafos on Simchas Torah in the front of the entire Shul at 1:00 AM. There, of course, is no video of that meeting, because it was on Yom Tov!
Moshiach Now!
Gmar Chasima Toiva!
Does he also heed the Rebbe the (according to his disciples) King Messiah’s advice when eating pork, desecrating Shabbos and (allegedly) engaging in certain other activities without the other party utilizing local Chabad mikveh?
Don’t be fooled this Bibi, he is a great actor (like all politicians), he quotes Rebbe or the TORAH only when he needs to!
Here is the link to english subtitles of Netanyahu’s exchange with reporters right after his speech at the UN
http://tinyurl.com/1984770
I am amazed at the continuous impact of the Lubavitcher Rebbe – his words spoken over 20 years ago continue to reverberate.
It my hope that Netanyahu also abides by the rest of what the Rebbe told him and other Israeli political and military figures – giving up land in Israel is a danger to every Jewish person – not only in Israel but abroad as well.
I do have great hope now, that perhaps, the words of the great Rebbe will be heeded.
Yehi zichro baruch
After all where in the year5770 we will hopefully here a lot more about the rebbe and will see him bguf gashmi in the geulah
this makes me proud to (try to) be a chossid of the Rebbe. Just like the Rebbe can have nachas from the chassidim, the chassidim can have nachas from the Rebbe!
did anyone realize tha t the rebbe told him he would need to be strong against 119 in other words he would be p.m. one day
what usually happens is we hear something inspiring and then it’s gone a day later, it’s up to all of us to take what he said and never forget it. Remember the time right before redemption is the darkest as the darkest part of night is right before sunrise, but it’s up to all the jews to push it along a bit faster and if your unsure how it’s done, listen to the lubavicher rebbe!
#30 , in middle of asseress yemei TESHUVA you can’t see how a person can make a mistake for years and then change?!?!?!?!?!?
Halevai you should do teshuva like he seemingly did.
Gmar Chassima tova
I”m under the impression that the Rebbe advised him to remain in the U>N> and not to get involved in politics