“They killed my friends and all my beliefs” after Oct. 7, peace activists face change of heart

i24NEWS

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“While I was hiding in the shelter, I was thinking, ‘Why are they doing this to us when we have advocated for peace our whole lives?'”

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Former hostage Yocheved Lifshitz speaks with her children after having been released by Hamas.Courtesy: Jenny Yerushalmi, Ichilov Hospital spokesperson

Yocheved Lifschitz, an 85-year-old Israeli peace activist who was held captive by Hamas, confronted Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the terrorist organization, during a visit to hostages in a tunnel. 

Lifschitz demanded answers, saying, “Aren’t you ashamed of having done this to people who have always worked for peace with the Palestinians?”

Lifschitz’s sentiment reflects the shock experienced by many survivors who actively supported peace initiatives. Amit Siman-Tov-Vahaba, who lost her entire family in the attack, revealed a profound shift in her perspective: “My deepest beliefs were turned upside down. I thought the Gaza Strip was full of people who looked like us… But this was all false.”

Yocheved Lifshitz, a former Hamas hostage, seen at a support rally calling for the release of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas, which includes her 83-year-old husband Oded; at “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv.Avshalom Sassoni / Flash90

The kibbutz residents targeted on October 7 were known for their advocacy for coexistence, providing employment for Gazans, and fostering genuine connections. However, the brutal attack shattered their illusions about peaceful coexistence.

Ruthie Munder, 79, who strongly believed in peace, shared her harrowing experience of being guarded by a civilian in a hospital against her will. “I spent most of my time locked in a small room… guarded by a civil guard in a civilian facility,” she said.

The event held by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum to commemorate hostage Kfir Bibas’ first birthday while held in captivity in Gaza, January 18, 2024.Eyal Radoshitzky

The survivors no longer make distinctions between Palestinian civilians and terrorists, citing the active participation of Gazans in Hamas’s abuses. Mia Schem, a former Franco-Israeli hostage, stated, “No one is innocent in Gaza.”

The disillusionment extends beyond the physical losses, marking the assassination of ideals and the defeat of convictions passed down through generations. Batia Holin, a survivor of Kibbutz Kfar Azza, expressed a loss of faith, saying, “I lost my optimism and my faith. They not only killed friends of mine, they killed my beliefs.”

Hostage Mia Shem arrives to her family in Israel on Nov 3027a copyright law Israel

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