"I am very happy that we will mark the festival of light by lighting the Hanukkah candles in the National Assembly this year as well. The tragic events of October, in which thousands of members of the Jewish people lost their lives at the hands of ruthless Hamas terrorists, with hundreds kidnapped and taken hostage, including newborn babies, children, women and the elderly, showed unequivocally that darkness still hangs over the State of Israel and the Jewish people," said Drecun.

He expressed sincere commiseration with the brotherly Jewish people, stressing that the Jewish people have a true friend in the Serbian people, just as the Serbian people have a true friend in the Jewish people.

Ambassador Vilan stressed how happy he was that Hanukkah was celebrated in the National Assembly again this year, which once again confirmed the closeness of the two countries and two peoples. He pointed out that Israel feels enormous support from the Serbian Government and the Serbian people, and expressed the hope that Serbia will show this support before the United Nations as well.

In the course of the video meeting with the Head of the Israeli Parliamentary Friendship Group with Serbia Boaz Toporovsky, member of the group Shelly Tal Meron, Serbian Ambassador to Israel Miroljub Petrovic and the Honorary Consul in Israel Aleksandar Nikolic, the participants expressed mutual hope and desire that the candles lit on today's festival would help light overcome the darkness and bring peace and tranquillity to the lives of all Jews.

Ambassador Petrovic expressed his satisfaction that the closeness and desire for additional connection between the peoples of Serbia and Israel is manifested through the celebration of Hanukkah. He stressed that additional strengthening and fostering of cooperation awaits the two countries, which, he pointed out, he is fervently looking forward to. Rabbi Isak Asiel of the Jewish community in Serbia also attended the meeting.