[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book II)]
[December 13, 1998]
[Page 2166]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 2166]]


Remarks at a Hanukkah Menorah Lighting Ceremony in Jerusalem
December 13, 1998

    Thank you very much, Mr. President and Mrs. Weizman. Let me say a 
special word of welcome in greetings on behalf of Hillary and myself to 
all the children who are here, and my thanks to these wonderful voices 
we have just heard sing. And I congratulate this young man for holding 
the candle all that time and not burning himself. Congratulations! 
[Laughter]
    It is our great honor, all of the American delegation here, the 
members of our administration and the Members of Congress, to celebrate 
the first day of Hanukkah with the President and some of Israel's finest 
young people. This is a joyous time of year for Jewish people 
everywhere, here in Israel, in America, around the world, a moment to 
cherish your extraordinary past, to strive for a future worthy of your 
history.
    On this occasion, you celebrate not simply a long week of happiness 
but thousands of years of triumph over adversity. You thank God not only 
for miracles but for hard-earned achievement. May this menorah bring 
light through wisdom and illumination. May it bring warmth through faith 
and fellowship. May it kindle a divine spark of peace touching all the 
peoples and places of the Holy Land. May it bring hope that after 50 
years of building, security finally will come to all the people of 
Israel. And may it bring more than hope; may it ignite in each of you 
the will and strength to bring these hopes to reality.
    All of you in this way can serve as candles full of light. Let our 
descendants look back at Israel at the turn of this new century and say 
the words that every Jewish child knows from the letters on the dreidel: 
A great miracle happened here.
    Happy Hanukkah.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 5:20 p.m. in the Foyer of 
Beit Hannassi, the residence of President Ezer Weizman of Israel. In his 
remarks, he referred to President Weizman's wife, Reuma; and Moshe 
Metbabo, who lit the first candle in the menorah. The transcript 
released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks 
of President Weizman.