There are few festivals more purely enjoyable than Chanukah — not least because for eight days we get to enjoy latkes and doughnuts!

But it’s important that for all the fun, we do not lose sight of the message of the Chunakah story — that however bad things may appear, we should never lose hope. That’s a message that is relevant far beyond the Jewish community, with war in Europe and a desperate economic crisis.

But it is also a message that resonates specifically within our people and with our history.

Whatever one’s views of the rights or otherwise of the diaspora to criticise Israel’s internal politics, it is a simple fact of life that the inclusion of Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir in the next government makes it more difficult for friends of Israel to make its case.

In this week’s paper Alan Dershowitz points out that some of the legislation they propose could potentially have an impact on Israel’s legal standing. But depressing as this is, we should also not lose sight of the good news.

This week the Conservative Friends of Israel held its annual lunch, soon after its Labour equivalent. No one thought it in any way surprising that the prime minister should be the main speaker, such is the depth of support for Israel.

Yes, we should be concerned by the problems we face. But we should not throw the baby out with the bathwater. We have much still to cheer us.