Thousands of people arrived Saturday afternoon, in stormy weather full of winds and rain, for a rally in solidarity with the families of the abductees and missing in Tel Aviv's Abductees Square. Since the outbreak of the war on October 7, this is the 12th Saturday in which the hostages have been held captive by Hamas.
"In what country does a mother look for her son in horror videos and pray that he will be kidnapped by terrorist organizations? I was left to my own devices," said Violet Hillel, mother of Uri Tchernichovsky, who was murdered at a party in Reim.
"I hurt my country, whose leaders do not deserve the best of its sons who give their lives every day. How long will we be knocked out? Isn't it in a vacuum that this war came upon us? I look for anchors for my life, sources of comfort and nothingness. In my eulogy for my son, I wrote that half of my heart is gone, I expressed the hope that just as the liver lobe grows itself again, so my heart will fill in its missing half, but my heart cannot grow an avenue of leadership worthy of its citizens, she said in tears to applause from the audience.
Sharon Konyo, who was abducted to Gaza with her sister and daughters and returned in the abductees' deal, is expected to speak for the first time at the rally, while her husband David is still held captive by Hamas.
Noa Tishbi, the information ambassador, will also deliver a message to world leaders and the Red Cross, which is silent in the face of the horrors. Or Levy, 12, who leads the international struggle of the world's youth against the Red Cross, Maj. Gen. (res.) Eli Cheney Marom, former commander of the Israeli navy, in a message to cabinet members, Rachel Goldberg Poland, mother of 23-year-old Hirsch, who was kidnapped from the Nova party to Gaza while still wounded, Orin Gantz, who lost her daughter Eden Zakaria, z"l, and more.
Singers Mosh Ben Ari and Shiri Maimon are expected to perform at the event.
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