Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the last leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, was the inspiration for Iraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the United Nations.

Following his Sept. 24 speech to the General Assembly in New York, Netanyahu told reporters that his defense of the Jewish people was inspired by the Rebbe, who urged him during a 1984 discussion at Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters to "light a candle of truth" in his dealings with the U.N.

Netanyahu repeated and expanded on his comments about the Rebbe during an appearance co-sponsored by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Netanyahu recounted a visit to 770 Chabad headquarters in Brooklyn on Simchat Torah during his stint as U.N. ambassador: