Jerusalem ? Israelis began the eight-day festival of Hanukkah at sundown Sunday with a warning against overdoing the holiday culinary specialties from someone who should know – Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Families gathered at sundown to light the first candle of the Hanukkah festival.

After the candle lighting, many families sat down to a traditional meal that included delights like fried potato pancakes and jelly-filled doughnuts.

Sharon advised against letting go. The badly overweight Sharon, 77, was back at work Sunday, a week after suffering a mild stroke. Doctors insisted that he must go on a diet, something they’ve been urging unsuccessfully since 1965.

Speaking at the beginning of the weekly Cabinet meeting, Sharon smiled as he said, “I hope you will all eat doughnuts and potato pancakes. You have permission to eat them, but I recommend that you don’t overdo it,” evoking laughter from the ministers.