Then-Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat attending a Hanukkah event at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Dec. 3, 2018. Photo: Aharon Krohn/Flash90.

Hanukkah is in full force in Israel and citizens are once again plagued with a holiday full of bumper to bumper traffic in a country that feels smaller than ever amidst the raging war with Hamas.

The extended holidays in Israel, whether it be Passover in the Spring, Sukkot in the Fall, or Hanukkah in the winter, all have two things in common; joy and traffic. The phenomenon is well documented and loathed by Israelis right and left, religious and secular, all who are forced to sit in their cars for hours on end for what could normally be short trips.

One Israeli, Tamar, described the traffic as the worst she can remember. She recounted during the holiday sitting in traffic for more than an hour at the entrance to a major highway, not moving for most of the time. “I drive the route every day, and the road is normally a minute or two prior to entering the highway… I thought I was going crazy from sitting for so long,” she said.

She said “traffic during the holidays is always bad, but this year feels different.”

The main reason, typically, for the congestion on the roads is first and foremost due to the fact that all primary and secondary schools throughout the country are closed down for the week to allow for family activities across the country. In a typical year, families will explore the nature of the north, south, and central of the country – enjoying hotels or camping in the outdoors. Others will take the time to travel abroad.

This year, though, the Hanukkah break is different due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. And due to the war, Israelis like Tamar are saying the traffic is the worse it has even been.

This is due to three main reasons. First of all, hardly any Israelis are traveling overseas during the holiday time. Travel warnings to most countries exist as per the country’s Foreign Ministry due to high risk of attacks against Israelis abroad and antisemitism.

Second, the north and the south of the country are off limits to those not currently serving in the army. The south is an active war with rocket sirens blasting daily, and in the north Hezbollah is also firing rockets and the IDF has established a security zone where civilians cannot enter. This means that Israelis are stuck hovering in the center.

Finally, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been uprooted from their homes due to the war and are staying in hotels across Israel, including many tens of thousands in the center. This also means that hotels that families would otherwise stay out are occupied by those currently living in the hotels.

With all of this compounded, Israelis are experiencing some of the worst traffic they have ever seen, as everyone is cramming to visit the same places and travel the same roads.

“This is the price we have to pay in Israel, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else for the holidays,” Tamar concluded.