Faith and fealty
23 October 2024 • 21 Tishrei 5785 • Issue 1390
Josh Glancy on how 7/10 transformed British Jews Page 19
The sound of Simon Life and rhymes of a legendary musician Page 26
‘I care about the hostages, NEW DAY OF not Sinwar’
Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, former hostage
Freed Israeli who told Hamas leader he ‘should be ashamed’ says she’s indifferent to his death
The daughter of an 85-year-old former Israeli hostage who told Yahya Sinwar he “should be ashamed of himself ” for planning the 7 October massacres says her mother is “indifferent” to the Hamas leader’s death, writes Jenni Frazer. Sharone Lifschitz told Jewish News that Israel had “killed loads of leaders over the years and they get replaced, one with another”. She said: “What’s irreplaceable are the hostages. We are waiting for them. Some people thought, to begin with, that Sinwar’s death (inset) would usher their return, but it doesn’t seem to be doing that. So my mother is cautious, like everybody, because of the level of chaos in Gaza and how that might affect the hostages.” Yocheved Lifshitz, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was released, together with Nurit Cooper, after 17 days in Gaza. Her husband Oded, 84, is, as far as the family knows, still being held hostage. Their daughter acknowledges that the chances of his survival are “slim”.
In October 2023, Yocheved Lifshitz told reporters after her release that she had met Sinwar in the Gaza tunnels. “Sinwar was with us three to four days after we arrived,” she said. “I asked him how he is not ashamed to do such a thing to people who have supported peace all these years,” adding that the Hamas leader, who was killed by Israeli troops last week, had not responded to her challenge. Her daughter had not been surprised by her mother’s action. “My mum is someone who will speak truth to power,” Sharone said. “In a recent interview in Israel, she was asked if she had been afraid about speaking back to Sinwar. She said, ‘No, what have I got to be afraid of? I’m an 85-year-old woman.’ Continued on page 3
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