Demonstrating that Israel will not abide by the UN resolution denying Jewish historical and legal rights to Jerusalem, Netanyahu lit Chanukah candles in the Old City, celebrating the Maccabean victory in 164 BCE – long before the arrival of the Palestinians.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not originally plan on lighting the second Chanukah candle in the Old City of Jerusalem, but in light of the anti-Israel US Security Council resolution that passed on Friday, claiming that Jewish communities in the Holy City of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria were illegitimate, he was inspired to go.

Following is the text of his statement upon lighting the Chanukah candles on Sunday evening:

“I did not plan to be here this evening, but in light of the UN resolution, I thought that there was no better place to light the second Chanukah candle than the Western Wall.

“According to the UN resolution, the Maccabees did not liberate Jerusalem, they occupied Palestinian territory. According to the UN resolution, the villages that they started out from in the Modi’in area, those villages and that area were “occupied Palestinian territory.”

‘We Do Not Accept this Resolution’

“Of course. the Palestinians arrived much later. We were in these places. We will return to these places, and I ask those same countries that wish us a Happy Chanukah how they could vote for a UN resolution which says that this place, in which we are now celebrating Chanukah, is occupied territory.

“The Western Wall is not occupied. The Jewish Quarter is not occupied. The other places are not occupied either. Therefore, we do not accept, nor can we accept, this resolution. We are certain of our future just as we are certain of our past. And here I would like to light Chanukah candles on behalf of the Glory of Israel. Happy Chanukah.”

Courtesy: Israel Government Press Office