Israeli journalist Gideon Levy dedicated his column in the Haaretz newspaper on Sunday to the woman who was documented blowing out Hanukkah candles at the Weizmann City Mall in Tel Aviv.
Levy described the incident: "An anonymous woman wearing black. A hijab on her head, purse on her arm, and a cellphone in the other hand. Last Wednesday, the fourth night of Hanukkah, she approached a menorah in Weizmann City Mall in Tel Aviv, and extinguished the candles with one blow. Her partner clapped for her. After that, the woman returned: the 'Shamash' candle was still burning, and she extinguished it as well. This woman is the Palestinian Rosa Parks."
Levy stressed that while the act is not "nice," to him, it is an extraordinary act of non-violent protest. "It's not nice to blow out Hanukkah candles. I have no idea what drove this brave woman to do so, but it's hard to think of such a spectacular act of non-violent protest such as this."
Levy added, "An Israeli Palestinian-Israeli is permitted to think that this celebration should be shut down with a personal act of protest: putting out the candles in a mall. Someone needs to remind the Israelis that when they're stuffed with fancy donuts, in Gaza, they are still starving."
"Comes an anonymous woman, on the fourth night of Hanukkah, and extinguishes the celebrating Israeli's candles for a moment, with one blow. She's a hero," he concluded.