Brother of hostage blames lawmakers for his continued captivity, warns he will ‘pursue’ MKs if sibling harmed

Screaming at lawmakers during a committee meeting on the first day of the new Knesset session, Mor Shoham, the brother of hostage Tal Shoham, blames the state for his sibling’s captivity and warns he will “pursue” them if any harm comes to his brother.

“Did you eat? Did you drink? Did you relax? Did you put your kids to sleep? Did you bring your kids to school? These are very basic activities that my brother hasn’t been able to do for eight months. And I don’t know how to speak calmly and I don’t know how to speak quietly. I’m fed up,” he wails as protesters stand nearby with a banner stating “The recess is over and the hostages are still there.”

“I’m fed up, because if something happens to my brother I will pursue, day by day, each and every one of you. And I’m not afraid to say that. Two and a half months you sat in recess and the hostages, what happened to the hostages,” he continues. “More hostages died. My brother is suffering… every day.”

“The one who didn’t protect us is the State of Israel. The one who didn’t protect the soldiers here is the State of Israel,” he declares.

Relatives of the hostages appeared at the beginning of many committee meetings and engaged in high-profile protests and arguments with lawmakers before the Knesset recess, culminating in the smearing of yellow paint in the plenum during the final session on April 3.

Speaking with The Times of Israel on Sunday, Udi Goren, the cousin of hostage Tal Haim, said that during the new Knesset session “we will be seeing the families of the hostages going to the Knesset at least once a week and appearing in the committees to make sure that nothing gets done and no topic is dealt with before speaking about the hostages.”

"מי שלא שמר עלינו זה מדינת ישראל. מי שלא שמר על החיילים פה, זה מדינת ישראל!" – כך אמר מור, אח של טל שוהם החטוף בעזה pic.twitter.com/UPaUBbyH4n

— ערוץ כנסת (@KnessetT) May 20, 2024