The families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas militants held a press conference in Tel Aviv on January 6, criticizing the government for creating a “selective list,” comparing it to “Schindler’s List,” as reported by the Jerusalem Post and Yedioth Ahronoth. “Schindler’s List” (1993) is an American film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the novel “Schindler’s Ark” (1982) by Thomas Keneally. The film follows Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a German industrialist who saved over 1,000 Polish-Jewish refugees from the Holocaust by employing them in his factories during World War II. The film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won seven, including Best Picture.
In the Hamas attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, 251 people were kidnapped. In total, 96 remain hostages in the Gaza Strip, of which 34 have been declared dead by the Israeli army. The families of the hostages have called for action, urging the Israeli government “to negotiate the release of all hostages at once.” Relatives of those still in captivity warned that a partial agreement could condemn the remaining hostages “to years of suffering.”
“It was time to seize the historic opportunity and bring everyone home,” said Ayelet Goldin, sister of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin. “We cannot let Hamas dictate our fate. Hadar was abandoned and died in Hamas captivity,” she added. Yaron, the father of Avinatan Or, addressed his captive son: “The Prime Minister of Israel plans to leave you behind, you and all the men and fighters. My son, hold on!”
Yotam, the brother of Nimrod Cohen, harshly criticized the Israeli government: “We discovered that the Israeli government created a Schindler’s List. The government insists on a partial agreement that will condemn the remaining hostages to a horrible fate. The Israeli government has no right to decide who lives and who dies. It has no right to play with human lives.”
Meirav Leshem, the mother of Romi Gonen, addressed President-elect Donald Trump in English: “You are the most powerful leader, please continue to support the strongest country in the Middle East. Please ensure that all hostages return home.”
Representatives of the families argued that Israel has the capacity to secure an agreement for the release of all hostages and criticized any proposal that would differentiate between their lives. An official from the Islamist group stated on Sunday that Hamas agreed to release 34 hostages in the “first phase” of an agreement with Israel. In the first stage of the agreement, 2 small children, 10 women, and 22 men will be released. Among those who might be released are…