Emirati-Bahraini Delegation Lights Hanukkah Candles in Israel

A video of Emirati and Bahraini groups celebrating Jewish ‘Hanukkah’ festival at the Western Wall, in occupied Jerusalem has received mixed reactions on the internet.

Ami Magazine has shared the video that captioned: “Thanks to the peace brokered by Donald Trump, through Jared Kushner, Avi Berkowitz et al., a delegation of civil society leaders from #UAE & #Bahrain participate in the lighting of Hanukkah Menorah with nine branches menorah at the Western Wall!”

In another tweet, the Jewish magazine also shared a photo of a celebration of the festival in front of UAE’s Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai and thanked the US president saying: “President Donald Trump made this Hanukkah a very special one. Thank you.”

For the first time in the history, Hanukkah was publicly celebrated in UAE following the Abraham accords- peace deal agreement inked by Israel, UAE, and Bahrain to recognize Israel and start official ties between the countries under the auspices of the US President Donald Trump.

A “lavish” Hanukkah event was held below the Burj Khalifa in UAE, the world’s tallest building, on Thursday evening.

UAE's Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuhad had signed a peace deal in a public ceremony on September 15, 2020, at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.

Sudan and Morocco have lately followed UAE and Bahrain in normalizing relations with Israel.

Hanukkah is a Jewish feast that commemorates an early victory in the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire: the recapture of Jerusalem in the year 164 BCE, and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple. It is also known as the Festival of Lights.

The festival is usually celebrated by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, called a menorah as it is held for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev.

Not only the Hanukkah, a month ago the first official Jewish wedding took place at the Park Hyatt resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in a huge celebration.