In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz lit the first Hanukkah candle to mark his unwavering support for the Jewish people.
In the midst of the Israeli-Palestinian war, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his unwavering support for the Jewish people on Thursday by lighting the first Hanukkah candle on a gigantic menorah candelabra in front of Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate.
Relatives of an Israeli kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 were alongside the chancellor during the ceremony.
Olaf Scholz, wearing a black velvet yarmulke, told the many visitors in the center of the German capital: “I wish the Hanukkah candle to burn far beyond this square and far longer than during the eight days of Hanukkah.”
“Hanukkah,” he said, “ “stands for hope and confidence. Both are especially needed these days. Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel has shaken us all to the core. It is directed against the only Jewish state and its citizens, and at the same time against humanity itself.
In Israel, candles were lit Thursday in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem in memory of the 137 people still held hostage by Hamas militants and its allies.
Earlier in the day, students gathered in Tel Aviv to mark the first day of the eight-day Festival of Lights, which symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and democracy over tyranny.