The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah was celebrated in the National Assembly today, organised by the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Israel and the Embassy of the State of Israel in the Republic of Serbia.
The Head of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Israel MA Milovan Drecun congratulated the holiday to all Jews and the State of Israel, wishing that they celebrate it surrounded by peace and familial love, dedicated to each other, as the long tradition dictates.
"Hanukkah is celebrated in memory of the three-year war of liberation and the recovery of Jerusalem in 165 BC, when the lamp was lit again and the idols thrown out of the Temple," said Drecun. He stressed that Hanukkah is one of the happiest Jewish holidays, a festival of light and miracles, marking the liberation from Greek rule.
Drecun went on to say that Hanukkah is an exceptional opportunity to talk about the strong historical ties and profound friendship between the Serbian and Jewish people, who have throughout history fought for life and freedom on their own land.
The strong historical closeness of the two nations stems from the fact that they shared the same fate and suffered greatly in the Second World War, the Jews in the Holocaust and the Serbs a terrible genocide, said the Head of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Israel, adding that it was then, in those gruesome times, that Serbs and Jews strengthened their relationship and raised it to the level of a sincere and indestructible friendship.
MA Milovan Drecun recalled the fact that Serbia was the first country in the world to recognise the Balfour Declaration in 1917 and the right of the State of Israel to exist, which further testifies to the strong historical ties of the Serbian and Jewish people.
Speaking about the interparliamentary cooperation between the two countries, he opined that there is room for additional intensification, including exchanges of visits at the highest level, as well as mutual visits by members of the foreign affairs committee, as well as other parliamentary committees, and parliamentary friendship groups.
Drecun spoke about the difficult situation faced by the Serbian people in Kosovo-Metohija, saying that all the moves of the Pristina authorities are carried out with the aim of completely expelling the Serbs from Kosovo-Metohija. He emphasised that Belgrade remains committed to the policy of peace and security and is open to dialogue with Pristina, as it is the only way to resolve open issues.
In that regard, he said that 2021 put the friendship of the two peoples at a most difficult test. "We were very affected by Israel's recognition of Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence, because Kosovo-Metohija is Serbia’s holy land, our roots and our sanctuaries that make us who we are, are there," underlined Drecun.
He expressed regret for Israel’s decision and hope that in the coming period its leadership would reconsider and that Israel's relations with the so-called the state of Kosovo would not intensify any further.
Drecun expressed the hope that Israel would not act actively against our interests within international organisations.
The Head of the Israeli Parliamentary Friendship Group with Serbia Boaz Toporovsky addressed the participants of the meeting via video message, pointing out that this is an opportunity to, in the spirit of Hanukkah, drive away the darkness and spread the light. In his address, he agreed that the two nations shared the same fate and suffered greatly during the Second World War. He went on to say that he would contribute to the improvement of relations between Serbia and Israel and that it is of great importance for both countries to strengthen foreign relations. He added that there is room to improve cooperation in the fields of trade, agriculture, tourism and the IT sector. Drecun also welcomed the presence of the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Serbia in Israel Aleksandar Nikolic.
The event was also attended by Isak Asiel, Chief Rabbi of the Jewish community in Serbia, who lit the Hanukkah candles.
