New Biography Reveals Striking Parallels Between Benjamin Netanyahu and His Grandfather

A new biography, "Rabbi Netanyahu," by Moshe Nahmani, highlights uncanny similarities between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his late grandfather, Rabbi Natan Milikovsky-Netanyahu, who passed away nearly 90 years ago. The book suggests that many aspects of the grandson's public and personal life mirror those of his grandfather.

Both men shared the same first name for their wives, Sarah. Both spent significant years living in the United States and combined deep spiritual lives with broad secular education. Rabbi Natan Milikovsky-Netanyahu, fluent in Russian and German literature, prioritized national pride and Jewish tradition, traits also characteristic of Benjamin Netanyahu. Both were also prominent figures in public diplomacy; the grandson famously addressed the UN, while the grandfather was a gifted orator for Zionism, drawing massive crowds worldwide.

The parallels extend to political struggles and the tactics of their opponents. In 1914, Rabbi Milikovsky-Netanyahu ran for rabbinate of Rovno with the support of Ze'ev Jabotinsky. After a close election, his opponents, who were anti-Zionist, resorted to denunciation to a government minister, leading to the election's annulment. This tactic of circumventing majority decisions through external power structures is noted as a recurring theme.

A key parallel emerges from the Arlosoroff murder trial. Rabbi Netanyahu led the public defense of the Revisionist activists accused, viewing it as a political blood libel by the left to eliminate the right. He rallied prominent rabbis, including Rav Kook, and most of Religious Zionism supported the accused activist Abraham Stavsky, arguing the trial was politically motivated. The response from extreme left-wing activists then was remarkably similar to today, involving aggressive delegitimization campaigns, protests outside his home, and graffiti labeling him and other rabbis as "aids to murderers."

The article posits that Benjamin Netanyahu is now engaged in a similar struggle, facing accusations of financing Hamas and being responsible for the October 7th massacre, with brutal demonstrations outside his home. The Netanyahu family has long believed the grandfather died of heartbreak over the Arlosoroff trial's outcome, fostering a historical awareness within the family and the broader right-wing camp about the lengths opponents will go for political gain. The biography frames Benjamin Netanyahu's current challenges as a continuation of this historical battle, leaving open the question of its ultimate outcome.