Rescued hostage Noa Argamani included in Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025
Former US second gentleman Doug Emhoff lauds her ‘extraordinary courage and humanity in speaking out’ for remaining captives; ADL chief Greenblatt also on list
Former hostage Noa Argamani, who was kidnapped by Hamas-led terrorists in October 2023 and rescued in a daring IDF operation last year, was included in Time Magazine’s list of 100 Most Influential People of 2025.
She features alongside major world leaders and Jewish figures such as actor Adrien Brody, Anti-Defamation League head Jonathan Greenblatt and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Argamani responded that she is “deeply honored.”
“The video of Noa Argamani on Oct. 7, 2023, is forever seared into my soul,” wrote former US second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, in her entry on the Time website.
“She was joyfully dancing with so many others at the Nova music festival when Hamas launched its brutal terrorist attack. As she was kidnapped into Gaza on a motorcycle, her harrowing expression became a symbol of the pain and trauma Jews worldwide, myself included, continue to feel.”
He noted Argamani’s partner Avinatan Or, who is still captive in Gaza, as well as her “extraordinary courage and humanity in speaking out” for the plight of hostages who remain in captivity.
“My wife Kamala Harris and I stand with Noa in fighting for the release of all the hostages. We cannot give up until every one of them is home,” Emhoff wrote.
“Noa’s advocacy has illuminated Hamas’s extreme brutality, but more importantly, her bravery has embodied Jewish resilience and strength even in the worst moments. She is living proof to the world that, despite everything, ‘we will dance again.'”
In a post to X, Argamani wrote that she is “grateful that this recognition continues to shine a light on the hostage crisis and the horrific attacks of October 7th. It’s a powerful reminder of the urgent need to keep speaking out.”
“I’m especially humbled to serve as a voice for the hostages who remain in captivity – those who can’t speak for themselves,” she wrote.
I’m deeply honored to be included in the @TIME 100 list and grateful that this recognition continues to shine a light on the hostage crisis and the horrific attacks of October 7th. It’s a powerful reminder of the urgent need to keep speaking out.
I’m especially humbled to serve… pic.twitter.com/OYCusYdrVc
— Noa Argamani (@ArgamaniNoa) April 16, 2025
“Since my rescue, I’ve made a promise to do everything in my power to bring the others home, including my love, my partner, Avinatan Or, who is still being held in the tunnels of Gaza,” Argamani continued. “There are still 59 hostages in Gaza. Innocent people. They need us. We must not stop. Bring Them ALL Home. NOW.”
On October 7, 2023, Hamas led over 5,000 attackers in an invasion of southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 hostages to the Gaza Strip. The attack triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
At the Nova music festival, close to the border with Gaza, terrorists slaughtered 361 people and abducted dozens, including Argamani and Or.
Noa Argamani was brutally kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th.
For 160 days she is held by these men in Gaza, going through horrific torture.
No matter how hard you try, there is no way to justify it.
There is no way to justify how the world is looking away. pic.twitter.com/TZaqvQ91Az
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) March 14, 2024
Heart-wrenching video of Argamani’s abduction, in which she was seen screaming as her terrorist captors drove her away on the back of a motorcycle and reaching out for Or, who was marched alongside, was among the most widely seen footage from the October 7 onslaught.
She was rescued from Nuseirat in central Gaza by IDF troops after nine months of captivity in a daring daylight operation on June 8, along with hostages Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv.
Since her rescue, Argamani has advocated publicly for the release of the remaining hostages, and in July last year accompanied Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his trip to Washington, DC, where she told him that the remaining hostages in Gaza “must be brought home as quickly as possible, before it is too late.”
She also met with US President Donald Trump, along with seven other hostages, in the Oval Office last month. In February, she addressed the UN Security Council.
Also on the Time 100 Most Influential People list were Trump and US Vice President JD Vance, billionaire Elon Musk, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Argentine President Javier Milei and new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Greenblatt was also included.
Greenblatt, who has been a leading — and often divisive — voice against antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment in the United States, credited his inclusion on the list to the broader work of the ADL in a post on X.
“I’m deeply moved & incredibly proud to be included on the 2025 #TIME100 list. This honor isn’t mine alone,” he wrote. “I share this with the entire ADL family & everyone who supports our mission to fight antisemitism & all forms of hate — wherever, whenever we see it.”
Other Jewish people on the list:
- Dario Amodei is the CEO of Anthropic, an AI startup that focuses on ethical obligation. He founded the company along with his sister Daniela. Their mother is a Jew from Chicago, according to Wired.
- Adrien Brody has earned two Oscars for best actor for his portrayals of Holocaust survivors. Most recently, he won the 2025 award for his lead role in “The Brutalist,” and used his award speech to describe his representation of the “lingering traumas and the repercussions of war” and the importance of combating hate.
- Bobbi Brown is a cosmetics doyenne who has advocated for natural beauty, including celebrating her “Jewish” nose.
- Larry Fink is a co-founder, chairman and CEO of the investment firm BlackRock. Born to Jewish parents in California, his success with BlackRock has made him a billionaire — and a champion of the ESG movement in investing.
- Wendy Freedman is a Jewish Canadian-American astronomer whose breakthroughs have driven efforts to measure the universe. She was awarded the National Medal of Science in January.
- Rashida Jones is an actress, writer, producer and filmmaker best known for her roles in television on “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.” She is the daughter of Jewish actress Peggy Lipton and Black music producer Quincy Jones, and has reflected on how her Black Jewish identity has shaped her life.
- Alex Karp is a Jewish American billionaire and the co-founder and CEO of Palantir, a data-analytics firm that works with U.S. defense and intelligence agencies.
- Josh Koskoff is a lawyer who represents the families of those who have lost their lives due to gun violence in schools. In 2022, he won a $73 million settlement for the families of Sandy Hook victims from an arms manufacturer that produced the assault rifle used in the attack. He has said he inherited his propensity to fight for the underdog from his great-grandfather, a Jewish immigrant from Russia.
- Howard Lutnick is the commerce secretary for the Trump administration. Prior to his appointment, he was the CEO of finance firm Cantor Fitzgerald.
- Lorne Michaels is the creator of “Saturday Night Live,” one of the most influential comedy shows in American television history. Born Abraham Lipowitz in Toronto, he founded the show in 1975. It celebrated its 50th anniversary taping in February and featured many Jewish comedy greats.
- Scarlett Johansson is an actress best known for her roles in “Lost in Translation” and Marvel’s “The Avengers” franchise. Born to a Jewish mother, the actress discovered that some of her ancestors died in the Warsaw Ghetto on a 2017 episode of “Finding Your Roots.”
- Miranda July is a screenwriter and author whose book “All Fours” was a sensation when it came out last year. Her Jewish father adopted the surname Grossinger, July’s original last name, in homage to the Jewish Catskills resort where his family vacationed.
- Claudia Sheinbaum became Mexico’s first female and first Jewish president this past summer with the campaign slogan “it’s time for women.” Her election made Mexico the biggest country to have a Jewish head of state.
- Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of Facebook and CEO of Meta, its parent company. Zuckerberg has said his Jewish identity is “very important” to him. His company, Meta, has recently received criticism from Jewish groups over its rollback of hate speech regulations on its platforms.
The Times of Israel Community.