Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invoked the spirit of the ancient Maccabees during a candle-lighting ceremony at the Western Wall on the second night of Hanukkah, drawing a direct parallel between their struggle to reclaim Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago and the modern battles waged by IDF soldiers against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian-backed forces.

Accompanied by his wife Sara Netanyahu, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee and his wife Janet, IDF troops, and Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Netanyahu lit the menorah at Judaism’s holiest site, underscoring continuity in Jewish resilience and survival.

“The Maccabees fought for Jerusalem and the Temple 2,000 years ago. Today, our heroic soldiers are fighting for Jerusalem, for Israel, and for the future of Judaism and Judeo-Christian civilization,” - Netanyahu

He praised the soldiers’ victories as safeguarding not only Israel but also Western values, gesturing toward Huckabee: “Thanks to their success, we have friends like you.”

Sara Netanyahu placed a prayer note in the Wall’s cracks, calling for “complete victory” and the return of the body of Corporal Ran Gvili, taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attacks.

The ceremony highlighted deepening U.S.-Israel ties under the Trump administration, with Huckabee—a longtime evangelical supporter—representing renewed alliance. “Standing here with these brave warriors reminds us why Israel matters to the free world,” Huckabee said.

Hanukkah, commemorating the Maccabean revolt against Hellenistic oppression and the rededication of the Temple, resonated strongly amid Israel’s multi-front conflicts in the aftermath of October 7. The event drew thousands, blending solemnity with defiance, as sirens occasionally echoed distant threats.

Analysts note that Netanyahu’s invocation of the Maccabees reflects a broader narrative of continuity—framing Israel’s modern military struggles as part of a historic arc of Jewish survival and resistance.