Decision of the Council of State regarding Hanukkah Candle Lighting at the Elysée
On Wednesday, October 30, the Council of State ruled against associations that had appealed to it after the Chief Rabbi of France lit a Hanukkah candle at the Elysée in 2023. The controversy surrounding a potential breach of secularism stirred by this event led the League of Human Rights (LDH) and the Association of Free Thinkers of France to urge the Council of State to “annul the decision by which the President of the Republic would have authorized the event” at the Elysée on December 7, 2023.
The Council of State’s Decision on the Case
The Council of State acknowledged that during a reception at the Elysée Palace, the Chief Rabbi of France lit a candle, and part of the audience sang a hymn in Hebrew. However, the council stated that there was no evidence in the file that the President of the Republic had authorized a religious ceremony. Consequently, the Council of State ruled the plaintiffs’ requests inadmissible and rejected their appeals.
The Controversy Surrounding the Hanukkah Celebration
On December 7, 2023, Emmanuel Macron was honored with an award for his efforts against anti-Semitism. On that occasion, Chief Rabbi of France, Haïm Korsia, lit the first Hanukkah candle in the Elysée’s reception hall. This event generated intense criticism, even within the Jewish community, with concerns raised about a perceived violation of secularism—a principle stemming from the 1905 law on the separation between the State and the Churches.
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