Holocaust survivors rally behind Israeli hostages, warn time is running out

Holocaust survivors expressed solidarity with the Israeli hostages and their families on Tuesday at a gathering in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square. Referring to their own traumatic experiences, the Holocaust survivors warned that time is running out for the remaining hostages held in Gaza by the Hamas terrorist organization.

Naftali Furst (94), who survived Auschwitz and three other concentration camps during World War II, emphasized the importance of backing the families of the hostages.

“I came here with strength to support the families whose children are still in the horror of Gaza’s underground. Without hope, we would not have survived. Your future is still ahead of us. I hope your children are freed and that the government gains some wisdom, some heart, and some Jewish values – and that the hostages are released today,” Furst said.

Hamas terrorists and their allies massacred 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 251 people from southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Fifty Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 who are believed to be still alive but at grave risk and another – IDF Lt. Hadar Goldin, whose body was kidnapped by Hamas in 2014 during Operation Protective Edge.

One Holocaust survivor, Ariel, expressed his shock when he saw Hamas’ recent propaganda video of the emaciated hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski.

“When we saw the images of Rom and Evyatar, it felt like the air was sucked out of our lungs. As Holocaust survivors, we know what happens when the world doesn’t look. To be in darkness, not knowing if anyone is coming. We are here to speak for those who cannot. Don’t wait. Bring them home now. They are human beings – and time is running out,” he warned.

Aryeh Pinsker, who survived Auschwitz, echoed similar sentiments.

“I never thought we could reach such neglect. I don’t know if it’s not deliberate. I hope this ends differently and ends well, that we become a united people again, with sane leadership,” he said.

Michael Illouz, whose son Guy Illouz was murdered by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack, thanked the Holocaust survivors while blaming the Israeli government for the current situation in Gaza.

“I bow my head to you. I don’t understand the strength of spirit you possess,” he told them. “Since I was a child, I never understood how such a catastrophe happened in the Holocaust. I can’t believe it’s 2025 and we still have 50 hostages, and we’re seeing such images. It’s a disgrace that you have to come and support us. To see images that remind you of what you went through – I’m ashamed of this country. I apologize to you on its behalf,” Illouz stated.

Danny Miran, the father of the hostage Omri Miran, said he was inspired by the resilience of the Holocaust survivors.

“In 77 years, we built a magnificent country, and we should be proud and strong. I draw my soul’s strength from people like you,” Miran said.

In April, ahead of the Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Miran family responded to a Hamas propaganda video featuring Omri Miran.

“On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, when we say ‘Never Again,’ an Israeli citizen is crying for help from Hamas tunnels. This is a disgrace for the State of Israel. Our Omri is strong and will not break, but our hearts are broken. For a year and a half, he and 58 other hostages have been waiting to be brought back. We will not give up and will continue to fight until Omri returns to us – especially to his two daughters, who are waiting with all their hearts to hug him again,” the family stated.

A 99-year-old Holocaust survivor, Mordechai David Cohen, who was born in Bulgaria, recalled how, as a 21-year-old, he fought for the reborn Israel's independence in 1948.

“My father asked me if I wanted to come, and I said yes. They taught us for three days how to shoot and throw grenades. Then we guarded Kibbutz Revivim. Since then, I’ve been here,” Cohen said. He recalled his emotional encounter with Yael, the mother of the murdered hostage Tamir Eder.

“I don’t cry, but I had tears. I couldn’t stop them. Her story hurt me deeply. I don’t know where God was during the Holocaust – or on October 7,” he said.

Despite her own pain, Yael said she broke down in tears as she felt the anguish of the Holocaust survivor.

“I cried not for myself – and I cry a lot for myself – but for what he feels. I want him, at age 99, to know he didn’t fight for nothing, didn’t build for nothing. I want him to feel there is hope, that he will leave behind not only sorrow but legacy,” she said.

Cohen concurred. “We have nowhere else to go. We have no other country. And if we don’t fight for it now – then what was it all for?”