ショルツ氏、ユダヤ教の祭り「ハヌカ」で献灯　独首相で初

【ベルリンＡＦＰ＝時事】ドイツのオラフ・ショルツ首相は７日、首都ベルリンでユダヤ教の祭り「ハヌカ」の始まりを祝う式典に出席し、同国首相として初めて、ハヌカの巨大な燭台（しょくだい）に献灯した。イスラエルとイスラム組織ハマスの衝突が続き、反ユダヤ主義が強まる中、ユダヤ人への「連帯」を示した。（写真はドイツ・ベルリンで、ユダヤ教の祭り「ハヌカ」の始まりを祝う式典に出席し、巨大燭台に献灯するオラフ・ショルツ首相〈左〉）
　ユダヤ教の帽子「キッパ」を着けたショルツ氏は、ブランデンブルク門付近に集まった人々を前に、ハマスが人質として拉致したイスラエル人の「即時解放」を訴えた。
　厳戒態勢の中で行われた式典には、人質となっている独系イスラエル人男性の親族２人も出席。両氏がともした火が、ショルツ氏に渡された。
　ショルツ氏は、ユダヤ教のラビ（宗教指導者）と共にクレーンに乗り、巨大燭台の最初のろうそくに火を付けた。
　ドイツではガザ衝突以降、ユダヤ人に対するヘイトクライム（憎悪犯罪）件数が急増。これを受け、ショルツ氏はユダヤ人の保護を表明した。
　同氏は式典で「多くの市民がユダヤ人コミュニティーを言葉や行動で支え、ユダヤ人の隣人、友人、同僚に思いやりと連帯を示していることを喜ばしく思う」と話した。
　さらに、ドイツ社会にとってユダヤ人は「切り離せない」一部だと強調。国内に住むユダヤ人が「自身の信仰や文化の活動に際し、おびえなければならない」状況は「容認できない」と述べた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/12/11-15:47）

Olaf Scholz on Thursday became the first German chancellor to light Berlin's central Hanukkah menorah, in a sign of solidarity with Jews amid a surge of anti-Semitism during the Israel-Hamas war.
Wearing a kippa, Scholz also urged the immediate release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas as he addressed a crowd gathered at the Brandenburg Gate for the start of the Jewish festival of lights.
He then boarded a crane to ignite the menorah's first candle with a torch, accompanied by Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal.
I hope the light of this candelabra will shine across this square long beyond the eight days of the Hanukkah celebration, Scholz said.
It stands for hope and optimism -- We especially need both in these days after the Hamas terror attack on Israel.
Amid a sharp rise in hate crimes against Jews in Germany since the October 7 attacks in Israel, Scholz pledged to protect Jewish life eight decades after the Holocaust.
I am happy that many citizens are supporting the Jewish community in word and deed and showing compassion and solidarity with our Jewish neighbours, friends, colleagues, he said.
That is why I'm also happy to be here today, he said, adding that he wanted to underscore that Jews were an inextricable part of German society.
Scholz called it unacceptable for Jews in Germany to have to be afraid to practise their religion, their culture.
The ceremony, held under tight security, was attended by two family members of a German-Israeli hostage, Itay Svirsky. They lit the torch that was handed to Scholz to ignite the first candle.
Hamas militants stormed out of Gaza into Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking hostages, 138 of whom remain captive, according to Israeli officials.
In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and has carried out air strikes and a ground offensive that have killed more than 16,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.