Rabbi Shmuley Boteach told Newsmax Tuesday that Israeli soldiers are the modern-day Maccabees, a Jewish family who led a revolt against the ruler Antiochus IV.
Boteach appeared on "Newsline" while celebrating Hanukkah in Tel Aviv.
"We have 100 hostages," Boteach said. "We don't even know their fate. We have women who were raped. Yesterday, I spoke to a woman whose 84-year-old father-in-law was taken a year and a half ago. They don't know if he's alive or dead because Hamas are monsters and brutes, and they have to be destroyed."
The rabbi said more than 12 months after the Oct. 7 attacks, Syria has fallen because of Israel, Hezbollah is on life support, and Hamas is nearly destroyed and annihilated.
"Israel is fighting a seven-front war," Boteach said. "This tiny little country has completely redrawn the map of the Middle East."
Despite everything Israel has endured, the country is still able to celebrate Hanukkah, Boteach said.
"The celebrations in this country this year have been electrifying," Boteach said. "Israel is on fire with a determination to live. This military victory dwarfs by far what happened with Hanukkah 2,300 years ago. We should create a new Hanukkah."
In 2025, Boteach said he wants to see Hamas finished off, a peace treaty between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and less antisemitism.
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Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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