Relatives of hostages urge rescued captive Noa Argamani not to join Netanyahu in DC
Several family members argue prime minister is using the young woman, make plans to protest against him in Washington since they see him as an obstacle to a deal
Some family members of hostages held by Hamas called on rescued hostage Noa Argamani on Wednesday to not join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s delegation to the United States next week, arguing he was using her to legitimize himself in the wake of the October 7 disaster.
According to a Ynet report, Argamani, who was freed by Israeli forces last month alongside three other hostages in a special forces operation, will join Netanyahu with her father and other hostage family members for the prime minister’s speech to Congress in Washington DC on July 24.
Maayan Sherman, the mother of fallen IDF soldier Ron Sherman, whose body was recovered in December from the Gaza Strip, posted on Facebook, “Beloved Noa, he’s using you. And others will pay for this with their lives. Explain this to your father. Don’t fly with him as a decoration.”
Ifat Kalderon, a cousin of hostage Ofer Kalderon, posted Sherman’s remarks on X, adding, “Let someone explain to beloved Noa Argamani that he’s using her. She was kidnapped once by Hamas and a second time by him.”
Danny Elgarat, whose brother Itzik is being held hostage, made a public plea to Argamani saying, “I heard with great sorrow that you agreed to travel with Bibi. Traveling with Bibi means acknowledging that he isn’t responsible for the October 7 disaster, and he’s actually using you to prove that.”
“As a family member of a hostage, I’m happy you managed to be rescued from there,” Elgarat continued. “I expect you to work for the release of the rest of the hostages or to not be an obstacle. Unfortunately, in my opinion, joining the prime minister’s trip hurts the chances of bringing home the rest.”
Elgarat is part of a group traveling privately to Washington to protest against Netanyahu while he is there. “If you’re in his entourage, we’ll find ourselves in an absurd situation protesting against you, and we wouldn’t want to do that,” he said.
He noted that “the prime minister invited other family members who refused the invitation. We would be happy and relieved if you did the same. Condition your participation on a deal before the flight.”
Many relatives of the hostage have been increasingly critical of Netanyahu, viewing him as being a central obstacle to a deal that is reportedly now widely backed by the defense establishment. He argues that further pressure is needed on Hamas to reach a deal that is acceptable to Israel.
Regarding Netanyahu’s trip, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum put out a statement saying: “We need the prime minister here, available, with all his energy being put forth to bring the hostages home, using all his power in the most important place for the people of Israel at this time.
Other hostage family members expected to join Netanyahu include Ditza Or, the mother of Noa Argamani’s partner Avinatan Or, still held hostage, and Ayelet Samerano, whose son Jonathan’s body remains in Gaza, Ynet reported.
Ayelet Levy-Shahar, the mother of Naama Levy, refused the invitation, the report added.
It is believed that 116 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that.
Seven hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 19 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.
The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 42 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza.
One more person has been listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is still unknown.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.
