‘A new Middle East is possible only if all the hostages return home’ - At rally, Eli Sharabi asks Trump to help bring back the hostages

Thousands of Israelis gathered at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv Saturday night, calling for the government to immediately accept a comprehensive deal to release the remaining hostages in Gaza. 

Former hostage Eli Sharabi, whose wife and two daughters were murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly after his abduction, spoke of the pain of the families of the hostages. 

“To those who claim that there are '50 hostages' who have not yet been returned, I would suggest rewording, to be precise, 50 kidnapped families remain in Gaza.” Sharabi said. “No one must be abandoned – no matter what the price.” 

"I am standing here tonight not in the name of a movement, not on behalf of an organization, and not to make a speech," Sharabi said. "I am here as a widower. A bereaved father. A bereaved brother. A friend. A citizen. Liane, may her memory be blessed, my dear wife. A British citizen who fell in love with me. She fell in love with this country. Her only desire was to raise our daughters in peace, in comfort. Noya and Yahel, may their memory be blessed, my beloved daughters. Girls for whom smiling, sensitivity and helping others were a way of life. An entire family that was murdered. That was exterminated. An entire life that was cut short. A home that crumbled in an instant.” 

“I stand here not only for those who are no longer here. I am also here for those who are still waiting. For those who can and should be saved!” Sharabi continued. “Yossi, may his memory be blessed, my dear brother, who walked with me on a common path within the community of Be'er Sheva. A brother with a pure heart. His wife Nira, his daughters Yuval, Ofir and Oren, his mother, his brothers and sisters – all await his return for a proper burial.”  

He spoke of the families’ anguish of waiting, of not knowing. 

"The family members ask themselves every moment – will our loved one survive this hell? Is he in mortal danger at this moment? Is he starving? Humiliated? Beaten? Is he at risk of disappearing forever on Gazan soil? Do you understand what a fracture this is?” 

Sharabi said that returning the hostages is a matter of morality, not politics. 

“Being a moral, responsible and reformed state means that no one is abandoned! Not civilians. Not soldiers. No matter where they are held. No matter what the price. Because the moment our hearts stop beating for them – we cease to be a state,” Sharabi stated. “This is not a political matter. This is not a question of right or left. This is a question of morality. A question of humanity, a question of the heart!”

Sharabi also called on the Israeli politicians to prioritize the good of the people of Israel over politics. 

"I want to say here to all decision-makers – you were elected to serve this people. With humility, with modesty. It is arrogance that brought us this disaster – and we must not return to this pattern of behavior,” Sharabi noted. 

“There are still hostages in Gaza. And every day that passes is a day that will not come back. We cannot afford to remain silent any longer. Another postponement. Another 'after we win.' We must end this fighting – for our brothers, the kidnapped and the fighters, for this people, our true victory will be when everyone returns home,” the released hostage proclaimed. “When the children can play and laugh with their father again. When the parents can hug their beloved son. When the brothers and sisters can sleep without nightmares. When the light returns to the eyes of those who have almost turned it off.” 

Quoting a line from the book he wrote about his experience, Sharabi said, “I live the bereavement. I carry it with me everywhere – alongside life – not in its place.” 

In his speech at the rally, Sharabi also addressed U.S. President Donald Trump, with whom he met shortly after his release in the last hostage-ceasefire deal. He claimed that Trump’s vision of a new Middle East can only be a reality if the hostages are released. 

"The window of opportunity to bring home all 50 hostages – the living and the dead – is now open and will not be open for much longer," Sharabi said in English. "President Trump, being in these tunnels is hell. Thank You for bringing me – and so many others – back home. We need your help to bring my brother Yossi and 49 other abductees home. Your vision for a new Middle East is possible only if all the hostages return home.” 

On Saturday evening, Israeli government officials said Hamas had rejected the current hostage-ceasefire proposal.