"How does it feel to enter the house of lies?" That was the question put to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday evening as he arrived at the United Nations building in New York ahead of his address to the General Assembly. His answer: "A chance to tell the truth."
The phrase "house of lies" for the UN hall has stayed with Netanyahu since a personal encounter with the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt"l on Simchas Torah 5745 (1984). Netanyahu was serving at the time as Israel's ambassador to the UN, and the Rebbe spoke to him sharply about his role. "You are in the house of eternal lies," the Rebbe told him, as Netanyahu has recounted on many occasions. "You must light a candle of truth. When you are in a dark place, even a small light echoes far."
The Prime Minister's Office announced this morning that "during the visit, the prime minister will meet with the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Panama, Ethiopia and the vice president of Colombia, and with the prime ministers of Greece, Slovenia and Papua New Guinea."
The office added that "leaders of many countries requested to meet with the prime minister during the visit, but due to a tight schedule and the need to return before Sukkos, the prime minister was able to accommodate only some of them."
Netanyahu's visit to New York this time is unusually brief. The trip will last only a few hours, centered on his address to the UN General Assembly. Unlike previous visits that included a series of diplomatic meetings, the current schedule does not include significant meetings at this time.
