Former Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi releases memoir, meets with President Herzog ahead of international launch

Former Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi, who was held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza for 491 days after being kidnapped from his home in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has released a new memoir titled “Hostage” (Chatuf in Hebrew).

Prior to the book’s international release, Sharabi met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at his residence.

Sharabi presented Herzog with a copy of his book and announced that it has been translated into English and is set to be published in the United States on the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre.

Herzog stated, “I hope the immense international effort, led by the U.S. President and Israel’s Prime Minister, will bring the hostages home as soon as possible. There is no more just cause.”

In March, Sharabi addressed the UN Security Council, recounting his personal experience after being abducted from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri.

“The terrorist infiltrated our community. The terrorist broke down our door. The dog barked and the terrorist opened fire. My wife and I threw ourselves over our daughters, screaming for them to stop. They dragged me away as I called out to my girls, ‘I will be back.’ I had to believe that. I didn’t know I should have said goodbye forever.”

While advocating for the release of all hostages, Sharabi recounted how the brutal treatment he endured in Gaza caused him to lose track of time.

“For months we lived like this. I stopped counting the days. Living as a hostage, you don't know how the day will begin, nor how it will end. Whether you live or die. At any moment, they could beat you. At any moment, they could kill you.” 

Addressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump with deep emotion, Sharabi said, “This is the moment. We are waiting and hoping. The families of the hostages need closure, they need peace, they need their loved ones home, whether alive or, God forbid, to be buried with dignity. I ask both the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Israel to make the final effort and bring this to an end.”

Herzog affirmed and supported Sharabi’s plea, saying, “I want to amplify Eli’s powerful words. Eli, who endured unimaginable suffering and the terrible loss he experienced on October 7. When I look at him, I ask myself: what can one human being survive? His book is shattering, emotional, and heartbreaking.”

"Eli’s plea is the plea of all of us, it is my plea: to do everything in our power to complete this mission and bring everyone home without delay,” the Israeli President continued.

Herzog emphasized the urgency of the moment for the hostages and expressed hope that the joint efforts between the U.S., Israel, and all negotiating teams would “bear fruit.” He added, “nothing could be more just or urgent.”

Sharabi desires that his book be translated not only into English but also into more languages, aiming to preserve the history and testimony “for future generations.” He emphasized that doing so “will contribute to the public diplomacy effort that Israel so badly needs.”

Herzog praised the initiative and said: “You went through hell. No one can challenge your truth, because you are telling it firsthand.”