In response to emerging reports from former hostages, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights condemned the abuses Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad inflicted on hostages in captivity, including sexual violence, starvation, and physical abuse, and called for widespread international condemnation. T’ruah also called on the Israeli government to better support hostages and their families as they return to ordinary life.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, said:
“For two years, T’ruah and our rabbi and cantor members loudly and consistently advocated for the release of the hostages, who were held in horrific conditions and in clear violation of international law. We organized protests and public letters, gave sermons and wrote op-eds, and lobbied Congress. We did so in the context of our broader call for a negotiated end to the war, and in the spirit of pidyon shvuyim, the Jewish commandment to secure the release of captives. When our members visited Israel, they stood with hostage families in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and beyond to demand that the government prioritize redeeming the hostages.
“Now, as we learn more about what hostages suffered in captivity, we are horrified and saddened anew. Hostages, both Israelis and people of other nationalities, were tortured, starved, beaten, humiliated and verbally abused, and denied their basic human needs — some for as long as two years.
“Several former hostages have also shared painful stories of sexual harassment and sexual assault while in captivity. Among others, Guy Gilboa-Dalal has come forward with an account of repeated sexual assault by one of his captors; Rom Braslavski shared how his captors used sexual humiliation to control him; and Aviva and Keith Seigel gave testimony at the UN that they witnessed sexual abuse and torture while in captivity. We vehemently condemn sexual violence against the hostages, just as we have condemned sexual violence at other times during this war. We call on all international human rights organizations and international bodies to condemn both the taking of hostages, which is a war crime, and the brutal treatment of these hostages.
“For two years, extraordinary Israeli civil society organizations fed, housed, and cared for hostage family members, supported them emotionally, and helped them bring their message around the world. We are grateful for the tireless work of organizations like Hostages and Missing Families Forum and We Are All Hostages, and we are thankful, too, for the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who protested for months for an end to the war and the return of the hostages.
“Unfortunately, the Israeli government abdicated its responsibilities to the hostages and their families, leaving a vacuum that civil society had to fill. Hostage family members were abandoned, ignored, or mistreated by the government throughout their ordeal. Government ministers openly stalled hostage negotiations, betraying their responsibility to their own citizens. After release, some former hostages have discovered that they and their families have been vilified online by Netanyahu’s supporters. As former hostages continue to adjust to life back in Israel, we urge the government to do better and provide them with the physical and psychological support they need.
“We continue to stand with the former hostages and their families, including those who are still awaiting the return of Ran Gvili, the final hostage whose remains are in Gaza.”
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About T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights brings the Torah’s ideals of human dignity, equality, and justice to life by empowering our network of over 2,300 rabbis and cantors to be moral voices and to lead Jewish communities in advancing democracy and human rights for all people in the United States, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.