Knesset honors emergency services with Hanukkah candle-lighting event

The Knesset hosted a special candle-lighting ceremony on the last night of Hanukkah on Thursday in honor of Israel’s security and emergency forces.

The ceremony was attended by representatives from the IDF, Israel Police, Border Police, Magen David Adom, United Hatzalah, Fire and Rescue Services, and the Israel Prison Services.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana opened the ceremony with a speech on the emergency forces

“Your victory won’t be in force alone,” he told them. “It will also be due to the beating heart of Israel and the spirit they tried to destroy on October 7 and in the events that gave rise to Hanukkah 2,000 years ago. As it was then, the spirit is the same [now]: the spirit of soldiers running into the battlefield and risking their lives to protect our home and its residents and ensure a better future.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir got up to speak next and took the opportunity to promote his policy of arming the civilian population and criticize the handling of Hamas until October 7.

He ended by remembering those from the emergency forces who fell on October 7 and the ensuing war and added a message of encouragement for those still fighting.

Ben-Gvir was followed by members of the various emergency forces who got up to tell their stories from the last two months:

Lotam Nagar, Hevel Shalom emergency team leader, told the story of how he and his team of civilians and police officers fought the terrorists on October 7.

Cmdr. Yaron Dahan recounted his fighting against the terrorists in multiple locations in the South. One location was Nir Oz where he and his team saved a group of Givati soldiers who were under attack by 35 terrorists.

Nehorai Darshan from United Hatzalah went out to the field on October 7 to save lives. he related how a car full of terrorists approached them and opened fire again. He and his team continued to save lives while under fire.

ZAKA volunteer Shne’or Goll talked about his experience of identifying the bodies of October 7 victims and the challenges of the horrors he was faced with.

Lt. Yonatan Ben-Chemo lost his leg in the battles in Gaza. He told the story of how it happened and ended by saying that he was supposed to take a platoon commanders’ course and that he would do so despite the loss of his leg. When he finished speaking, he was honored with a standing ovation.

The Hanukkah candles were lit by the family of Gil Tasa and his son Or, who were killed in Nativ Ha’asara. Gil’s wife said they intended to go back home when the war was over and asked the government to make sure they could do so safely.

Magen David Adom medic and ambulance driver Hananel Jarafi told the attendees of his and his team’s near-death experience in which they were shot by terrorists while saving lives on October 7. Jarafi was successfully evacuated and required emergency surgery.

Supt. Bar Manshuri spoke about how she and her partner were at the Sderot Police Station and fought terrorists for four hours under a storm of bullets and grenades. She lost her partner in the battle in which more than 20 terrorists were killed.

Firefighter Yoel Damri was called to assist in the Sderot Police Station. He related how he worked for hours under fire to try to help evacuate police officers and stall the terrorists at the police station.

ZAKA spokesman Motti Bukchin talked about the importance and the responsibility the organization had in evacuating and identifying the bodies of the October 7 victims. Bukchin recounted his most difficult moment in which he and two other ZAKA volunteers opened a safe room and found a family of five all murdered and how the three of them broke down at the sight.

St.-Sgt.-Maj. D from the Israel Prisons Service shared how he was sent to help with the fighting in the Alumim kibbutz on October 7. He and seven others fought through injuries to stall the terrorists they faced.