WATCH: What Did Dedi Z”L Tell Bibi After He Lost The ’99 Elections?

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who had a years-long friendship with Dedi Graucher, z’tl, who was niftar on Monday, was maspid him at the levaya.

“We’re parting today, in deep pain, from Dedi, a warm Jew, a loving husband, a loving father, a loving grandfather, a talented singer, a close and beloved friend of mine and my wife Sara and our two sons, a close and beloved friend of everyone here and of many many others here and around the world,” Netanyahu began.

“Dedi lit up our lives with his light, he had a sharp sense of Jewish humor, a great neshama, and all these attributes touched us. Dedi knew how to bring laughter to the world. Dedi would enter the room and before he said a word, I would smile. At the hardest times – he was there at the hardest times – and he would enter the room and I would smile. He told me after I lost the elections – it happens – in 1999 he told me: ‘Bibi, life begins now.’ I broke out in a smile.”

“He and Malka and his children accompanied us on all the milestones of our lives.”

“One of the songs that he loved was ‘Chevron.’ Another song was ‘לך אתן את הארץ הזאת’ and another song he sang in the 1990s was ‘לבנימין אמר.’ He brought smiles to our faces when we heard them.”

“There are people who leave a great impression – you remember them after years – you remember their smile, their light – and that was Dedi. There weren’t many like him. We’ll never forget him.”

“Yehi Zicho Baruch.”