I am worried. Are you?
I ask my husband, “Will he be okay?”
As we get ready to light Hanukkah candles, he looks away from the window in his serious mode and says, “He is strong; he will be okay,” as if he knows him intimately.
Few people know him well, but from what we know, we feel we have known him forever: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
You want to call me Bibist, like they say here in Israel? I don’t care; call me as you wish.
Am I a pro-Bibi journalist paid to write? No, never. I don’t even consider myself a journalist; I like to see myself as an entertainer, a storyteller, or a blunt writer who tries to lay down in words what many think and feel but can’t say for one reason or another.
I am not a politician, an influencer, or a celebrity who thinks this gives her the right to say anything. I am a simple wife and mother who loves this country, wants the best for it, and fights for what I think is right.I respect your opinion, but let me share mine, too.
Do I have access to more private information on different topics? Could be, but this comes from my thirst to know – to dig a little deeper than what is fed to us. I am curious by nature; I love people, I love to hear their stories, and I love to analyze. I interview every week on my talk show and am excited to speak to a celebrity just as much as unknown people who want to share their story and inspire others.
Today, I don’t want to regret not having said what’s in my heart, look back one day and think, “Why didn’t I say that?” I do get into trouble sometimes for being too blunt or too open, but more often than not, opening my heart has helped me get through difficult moments in life.
Defending Netanyahu
We live in a democratic country where we all should feel free to express an opinion, as long as it stays within the parameters of respect for others.
So much fake news surrounds Bibi and his family. So many lies, and such unfairness in the way things have been handled, whether it’s his insane trial, handling of the war, or his standing by his wife, who gets massacred by the media. Try to stand in his shoes for a day – the average person would be overwhelmed and collapse.
I am Italian; I thought I had seen it all in Italy, including the Mafia, but what is happening in Israel is another level.
Without getting into details or politics, I just want to express my thoughts on the man himself. How much can a person take on his shoulders? How much anguish can the heart of a 75-year-old man stand?
How many hours does a man in his position need to sleep to be completely functional and alert all the time, constantly surrounded by heavy security, never taking a moment of his own, a break, or a pause?
Without getting into his personal relationship with his wife, I see a man who always stands by her and defends her in public, who leans on her and travels with her – but no matter what, his every move is wrong in the eyes of this nation.
He is seen either as a killer or a hero, which is normal for a great leader. But those who know him personally talk about him in awe.
I remember when I went on an Italian TV show, and the host, who is a famous and respected journalist, asked me before we got on stage, “How is Bibi doing? I would love to meet him soon.” We spoke almost in a whisper as if he was revealing a secret.
I know one day Bibi will be remembered as one of the greatest leaders of all time. There will be airports, cities, and roads named after him; sadly, the greatness of these men is always celebrated too late. When asked on that TV show if Bibi is the right leader to handle this war, I answered firmly that only he has the ability to lead our nation right now.
When you have such mental strength combined with strong charisma, it provokes a lot of jealousy and obsession.When I debate with people who are “anti-Bibi,” whose hatred for this man overcomes their mind and heart, their arguments make no sense.
It is clear that it comes from a deep jealousy of a man who was blessed and chosen by God to lead. Did he make mistakes? For sure. Does he have flaws? I have no doubt. He is human at the end of the day, even though his work schedule doesn’t make sense to human nature.
A friend of mine told me that Bibi reads a book a week. I read a book in four months. When does he have time?I look at the videos of Bibi in his 30s, a future leader written all over his persona.
Instead of being proud of a man who loves his people, his country, and his God, and a man who has faith in us, we keep fighting ghosts – those who try with all their strength to bring him down because he is too good, too charming, too powerful, and does the right thing.
I pass by Balfour Street, where the Prime Minister’s Residence used to be but is now “undergoing construction.” Meanwhile, while construction stalls, Bibi is residing in a private home on Aza Road, in the middle of the hustle of town, a simple home, not a venue for a man who is running this world’s fate.
My Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sits in a palazzo (large residence) in Rome, while Bibi lives on top of a sushi restaurant, and still critics condemn him for spending too much.
And now I am worried. Again he underwent surgery and needs time to recover. He is not 18 anymore. Will he be okay? Leave the man alone; let him finish his job; let him take us out of this difficult year with pride and courage.
We have become a light unto the nations; we have a country that the world envies; we have produced a generation of heroes who battle in the field and then come home to their families – wives, parents, and children.
We have stunning, strong, and courageous women, and a great head of state who wants to lead us with love and pride. Let us celebrate him, empower him, and pray for him that he will merit a long life.
My wish for him is that when he retires, he will have some time to do what he likes in peace and quiet. I know I say what a lot of people are thinking but don’t want to say, yet I know that most of us know the truth, for the truth will always shine through in the end.
May the lights of Hanukkah light up the whole world.
May we always be proud of who we are and what we stand for, and may some sense come to those who want to bring down one of the strongest leaders this nation has ever seen.
As I finish writing, my eight-year-old son looks at me and asks, “Is Bibi okay?”
“Yes,” I say. “Why do you ask?”
“I heard you talking to Abba. Mami, I don’t want anything bad to happen to him. I will say Tehillim for him.”
“You do that.”
The writer, originally from Italy, lives in Jerusalem with her husband and four children. She heads HadassahChen Productions and hosts a weekly talk show on Arutz Sheva.