Tragically, the Zionist movement chose to put
its faith in human power and national territorial sovereignty, seeking to
create a “Third Jewish Commonwealth” in historic Palestine. In so doing, it
forged a wholly new Jewish identity: an internalization and inversion
of European antisemitic themes of Jewish feebleness. This ideal
prioritized physical strength and militarism, and was often exemplified by the
revival of the Maccabees as Jewish heroes, forsaking the miracle of the oil for
a focus on violent militarism.
This reinterpretation has troubling
implications today, as it echoes in the ongoing violence in Gaza, where
militarism perpetuates suffering and destruction, often using ancient symbols
of Jewish tradition as forms of psychological violence. The enduring message of
Hanukkah — resilience through faith and light — has been overshadowed by this
glorification of force.
One of the most striking examples of this distortion is the sight of menorahs being lit amidst the rubble of Gaza by IDF soldiers. These acts, extensions of the militarization of Hanukkah through Zionism, desecrate the profound message of the holiday. The Hanukkiah, a beacon of hope and divine presence, has been reduced to a tool of domination. Such actions betray the ethical core of Jewish tradition, which calls for the pursuit of justice and collective human dignity
