While Israel fights for its existence, supporters of Hamas and Hezbollah protest holiday festivities, maligning both Christmas and Hanukkah.

A Hanukkah candle-lighting event in Little Rock, Arkansas, held on Wednesday night was interrupted by anti-Israel protesters from two groups: Little Rock Peace for Palestine and a Jewish organization called Taste of Olam Haba. 

Chabad Lubavitch of Arkansas hosted the candle-lighting and was attended by former Arkansas governor and president-elect Donald Trump’s US ambassador to Israel nominee, Mike Huckabee. 

Chabad called the event “light in the face of darkness,” and said the event’s attendees had succeeded in “drowning out antisemitic protesters” by singing traditional songs to celebrate the Hanukkah holiday.

The Stop Antisemitism organization also emphasized the anti-Jewish nature of the protests.

“Last night, protestors disrupted the annual Menorah Lighting in Little Rock, Arkansas, shouting at families during a peaceful celebration where former Governor & Ambassador to Israel-designate Mike Huckabee was the honored guest,” the organization tweeted. “This blatant antisemitism is unacceptable—those responsible should be charged with intimidation and harassment.”

“Christian Zionists and their agenda have no place in our Jewish communities and in our government. As Mike Huckabee, the [President-elect Donald] Trump appointee as future Israeli ambassador, addressed our city, we stood united in rejecting his message of division. Instead, we spoke for unity, justice, and equality for all people between the river and the sea,” the two activist groups said on social media.

“Christian philosemitism is antisemitism. Only loving Jews that support your right-wing end-times theology is not loving Jews.”

Huckabee is the first non-Jew nominated for the post since James Cunningham was tapped by then-US president George W. Bush in 2008. If confirmed, he will replace Jack Lew, who has served as Biden’s ambassador to Israel since November 2023.

However, anti-Israel protesters did not restrict their ire to Jewish celebrations. Earlier this week, anti-Israel demonstrators gathered outside New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral during Christmas celebrations, staging a protest against Israel.

Also, pro-Palestinian demonstrators disrupted Sunday Mass at St. Mary’s pro-cathedral in Dublin on December 22.

This past week, the Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) from the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) tracked numerous incidents centered around the false notion that Jesus was a Palestinian.