In a special interview with Arutz Sheva, Rabbi David Nachshon, a close friend of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, spoke about Netanyahu's connection to the Lubavitcher Rebbe and said there is no doubt Netanyahu will win over his adversaries.
"Both recently and over the years, Netanyahu has been ceaselessly attacked, and I felt a need, as a personal friend, to come and encourage him," Rabbi Nachshon said.
Rabbi Nachshon brought Netanyahu to meet the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, for the first time in 1984, as well as several times afterwards. According to Rabbi Nachshon, the Rebbe always paid Netanyahu special attention.
"Whenever Bibi (Netanyahu - ed.) came to the Rebbe, the attention he got was outstanding," Rabbi Nachshon said. "You could see the love flowing. The Rebbe exuded great love for him, and you always saw the faith that the Rebbe had, that Netanyahu would do the right thing. The Rebbe trusted him. One time, during the holiday of Hoshanah Rabbah, Netanyahu was debating moving to Israel and entering politics. The Rebbe really encouraged him to stay in his position at the United Nations. The Rebbe really trusted him. There was no one who could do the work like Netanyahu, and the Rebbe made that absolutely clear."
"Netanyahu did remain in the UN for a while after that, and then he came to Israel. When he told the Rebbe that he was moving to Israel, the Rebbe sent him a warm letter, through myself, discussing immigration to the Holy Land and encouraging him.
"Around that time, I brought Netanyahu to the Rebbe, in honor of his upcoming immigration. It was in spring of 1988, and the Rebbe told him some things very explicitly, as if they were a prophecy. He spoke to him about the future, about what Netanyahu would go through when he arrived in Israel.
"The Rebbe told Netanyahu that he would have to 'fight with 119 people. But you certainly will not be concerned, because G-d is on your side.' Then the Rebbe gave him a blessing. From that first moment and until today...we need to take that video and use it to remind us. Sometimes I show it to Bibi, and remind him that here, this is a prophecy from the prophet of our generation, and he's talking about exactly the situation you're in now, in Israel."
Rabbi Nachshon also recalled that Netanyahu thanked the Rebbe "for the many opportunities you gave me to come and receive help from you, to merit receiving such great emotional assistance like what you've given me. But not just me, all of Israel."
Another time, Netanyahu said that he "internalized the Rebbe's message well."
"Every time I show him the video where the Rebbe is telling him about 119 Knesset members, he becomes very emotional," Rabbi Nachshon added. "Because it is so accurate. The Rebbe told him explicitly that he would come to Israel and fight 119 adversaries. The Rebbe is telling him what will happen in the future, and he's smiling because he doesn't really understand what he's in for."
"But the Rebbe comforts him and says, 'You have nothing to worry about, because even though everyone is against you, you are on G-d's side, and you have nothing to fear. G-d is with you. And I understood from this that when you do what G-d wants, when you follow the Torah, everything is nullified and you have nothing to worry about.
"It really pains me, as a friend, as a brother, as a close friend, to see how people constantly spill Netanyahu's blood.... But I have a surprise for you, he's going to come out of it, and he'll stand tall, on G-d's side. He has a promise from the Rebbe, and he's going to make it through this. We've seen it happen up to now, and that's how it's going to be now as well. He will make it through this, and he will continue, and I hope he'll be able to hand his keys over to Moshiach (the Messiah), and we'll have the complete and true Redemption."