Your average film festival won’t screen “A Minecraft Movie,” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” or “Nobody 2.” And that’s a good thing.
Festivals give indie filmmakers a chance to shine in a crowded marketplace. They also shake up the theatrical experience by pushing audiences out of their comfort zone.
In short, prepare to be challenged. The best art does just that.
<div id="attachment_961513" style="width: 830px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961513" class="wp-image-961513 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-820x576.jpg" alt="TORONTO, ONTARIO - SEPTEMBER 15: Mike Downie accepts the &quot;People's Choice Documentary Award&quot; for &quot;The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal&quot; onstage at the TIFF 2024 Awards Ceremony during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival at Luma on September 15, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Jeremy Chan/Getty Images)" width="820" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-820x576.jpg 820w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-300x211.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-768x539.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" />TORONTO, ONTARIO &#8211; SEPTEMBER 15: Mike Downie accepts the &#8220;People&#8217;s Choice Documentary Award&#8221; for &#8220;The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal&#8221; onstage at the TIFF 2024 Awards Ceremony during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. (Photo by Jeremy Chan/Getty Images)</div>
Yet some modern film festivals are running from that unspoken promise. And, as is often the case, it involves cowardly programmers who refuse to provoke their presumably left-leaning audiences. In other situations, the festivals won’t stand behind art that could draw the wrong kind of crowd.
Protesters, to be specific, the kind that shout, “From the river to the sea…”
The latest, most embarrassing example? The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of the industry’s most prestigious events, recently <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/08/tiff-pulls-october-7-documentary-from-lineup-1236484968/comment-page-2/#comments">yanked an October 7 documentary</a> from its line up.
“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” recalls how retired Israel Defense Forces General Noam Tibon saved Israelis targeted for death by Hamas terrorists during that cataclysmic day.
<div id="attachment_961501" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961501" class="wp-image-961501 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-864x576.jpg" alt="TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - DECEMBER 02: Major General (Res.) Noam Tibon speaks during a rally calling for the remaining hostages to be released a day after the temporary truce ended outside The Museum of Modern Art known as the 'The Hostages and Missing Square' on December 2, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The rally’s speakers included recently released hostages and their families, as well as Israeli performers. The end of the weeklong ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has also meant a halt to negotiations over the return of more Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. One hundred and ten hostages - a combination of Israelis and foreign nationals - were released during the recent pause in fighting, under half the number estimated to have been taken captive by Palestinian militants on Oct. 7. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />TEL AVIV, ISRAEL &#8211; DECEMBER 02: Major General (Res.) Noam Tibon. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images</div>
But why cancel the documentary at all? TIFF officials initially said the film didn’t get the legal clearances for footage of Hamas soldiers attacking innocent Jews. That explanation drew instant ridicule, forcing TIFF to suggest it’s working to find a way <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/08/tiff-response-the-road-between-us-1236485877/">to solve the issues</a> and re-install the film into its lineup.
Now, an embarrassed TIFF says it will “<a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/14/world-news/tiff-reverses-course-will-ensure-oct-7-doc-is-screened-following-swift-backlash/">ensure</a>” the film will screen at the September festival after a major media backlash.
The damage is done, no matter what kind of backpedal the festival attempts. Its absurd rationale is likely cover for the real issue – pro-Palestinian protesters would have swarmed the screening, as they’ve done countless times before.
<div id="attachment_961507" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961507" class="size-large wp-image-961507" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-864x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - Palestinians transport a reportedly captured Israeli person, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 7, 2023. One month after Israel was wracked by Hamas attacks, life has been upended for both the Palestinians and Israel after it launched a war of reprisal in the Gaza Strip. The October 7 attacks by Hamas militants who stormed across from Gaza and struck kibbutzim and southern Israeli areas killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and deeply scarred the nation. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says nearly 9,500 have been killed, two-thirds of them women and children, and mostly civilians. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Jewish artists (Michael Rapaport, Matisyahu) routinely find their shows canceled due to fear of pro-Palestinian protests. Festival-based violence could have ensued, although a strong show of force would likely prevent such an occurrence.
The Heckler’s Veto won. Again. It’s one reason why protesters keep on raising their voices. They get results.
Today’s festival programmer too often chooses to censor art rather than let it shine.
A more egregious example of festival cowardice? The Sundance Film Festival threw open its arms to “Jihad Rehab,” a celebrated film focusing on Muslim terrorists and their path to redemption.
The film actually screened the documentary in January 2022, coaxing two festival employees to resign in protest. That was just the beginning of the outrage. Some Muslim filmmakers howled over the film’s inclusion, arguing the film exposed the participants to potential danger. Others suggested the film’s director, a white woman named Meg Smaker, was the wrong person to tell the story.
<div id="attachment_961509" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961509" class="size-large wp-image-961509" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-864x576.jpg" alt="PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 27: (EDITORS NOTE: This image was shot with a fisheye lens.) People stand in front of the Egyptian Theatre along Main Street during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2025 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />David Becker/Getty Images</div>
Sundance later issued an apology for screening the film, and other festivals dropped “Jihad Rehab” from their lineups.
Smaker eventually won the PR war, with far-Left sites like The New York Times and The Atlantic rushing to her side. The film, retitled “The UnRedacted,” <a href="https://www.justwatch.com/us/search?q=the%20unredacted">still can’t be seen via VOD platforms, though.</a>
Still, the most recognizable film festival in the country couldn’t stand up for its own screened film. That sends a chilling signal throughout the creative community.
Pro-Palestinian pressure also got a trans-related documentary <a href="https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/columnist/editors-note/377538/french-transgender-film-gets-cancelled-because-it-made-israel-look-good/">canceled from a Belgium film festival last year</a>. “The Belle from Gaza” focused on a transgender Palestinian woman fleeing Gaza for her own safety and ending up in Tel Aviv.
Variety captured the current state of film festivals in 2023.
<blockquote>In fact, that quick-to-capitulate reflex underscores a new, unspoken modus operandi in which festivals — once the bastion of provocative, button-pushing fare — are desperate to avoid controversy and the wrath of any identity-focused Twitter mob. </blockquote>
It hasn’t gotten better since then. And there’s a second factor in play.
Modern film festivals display a sense of ideological uniformity that diminishes their cultural impact. Left-leaning features are commonplace, be it stories about abortion rights or pro-LGBTQ+ narratives.
Films that defy that ideology rarely, if ever, make the cut.
Imagine a film festival featuring “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman?row=0&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;rowType=Square+Show+Carousel">What Is a Woman?</a>” The Daily Wire’s blistering take down of progressive gender beliefs.
<div id="attachment_805851" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman?row=0&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;rowType=Square+Show+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-805851" class="size-large wp-image-805851" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MixCollage-01-Oct-2024-04-20-PM-2436-1024x576.jpg" alt="What is a Woman?" width="1024" height="576" /></a>Matt Walsh/What is a Woman?</div>
What about “The Fall of Minneapolis,” a harrowing account of the media’s false narratives surrounding George Floyd’s 2020 death?
Or consider “What Killed Michael Brown?” That 2020 movie exposed similarly skewed narratives surrounding the Missouri resident’s 2014 death following a police interaction.
Had any of those films made the film festival cut it might have sparked protests, resignations or both. Cancellations might have followed.
Festival programmers, by insisting on ideological purity, keep these kinds of projects out of their lineups. And few audience members are challenged along the way.
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Even stories told by those holding unorthodox views may not get a festival closeup. Podcaster Adam Carolla has complained that his opinions have kept his apolitical racing documentaries from debuting in film festivals. The most extreme example? His 2020 documentary “Uppity,” a testament to Willy T. Ribbs, the first black race car driver to compete in the Indy 500, didn’t make the festival circuit.
The film checked enough progressive boxes to be included, and the few critics who reviewed the film raved about its content. That didn’t help Carolla crack the festival market.
Hollywood’s progressive groupthink remains a problem, keeping great stories and actors off screen. A similar sentiment holds with film festivals. A fear of social media controversy, and backbone deficit, is making matters worse.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

2025 Canada’s Walk Of Fame Induction Gala

Cowardice Is Killing The Spirit Of Modern Film Festivals

Documentaries

Entertainment

Hamas

Hostages

Israel

Movies

October 7

Sundance Film Festival

Toronto Film Festival

The father of an Israeli hostage who Hamas and Palestinian civilians took on October 7, 2023, believes that, despite his son being held captive, destroying Hamas must take precedence over saving the hostages, declaring that the goal for Israel “cannot be to bring [Hamas] to talks; it must be to destroy them.”
While the families of other hostages insist that saving the hostages must be prioritized over destroying Hamas, Tzvika Mor, the chairman of the Tikvah Forum and the father of hostage Eitan Mor — who was seized by Palestinians as he was working as a security guard at the Nova Festival — wants the IDF to pursue more aggressive actions, rather than mitigate the military response because of the hostages.
“The question isn’t what they’re going to do, but what is the goal?” he told <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2025/08/tzvika-mor-gaza-war-hamas-hostages-israel-netanyahu/">Jewish Insider</a>. “If the goal is to lead Hamas to negotiate, it will fail, just like in Gideon’s Chariots, which took five months and didn’t bring back the hostages and didn’t destroy Hamas. The goal cannot be to bring [Hamas] to talks; it must be to destroy them.’
“Is our war in Gaza necessary?” he asked. “If there weren’t hostages, would we still need to go to war? The answer is yes, because [Hamas] cannot remain our neighbors after we saw what they can do, or they would do it again. They are religious people; they live for this. They don’t live for a nice house and a car and social status. Not for coffee shops and pilates. They live to kill Jews. They’re like zombies. You have to destroy them. The war would be necessary even if there were no hostages. &#8230; It cannot be that we will endanger 10 million Israelis because of the hostages. We need to solve that problem such that we are not harming national security.”
He asserted that making the hostages the number one priority “not only harms national security, but it also hurts the hostages, because Hamas learns that they’re the most important to us and raises the price all the time. It’s indescribable stupidity.”
If Israel “concedes in Gaza, Hamas will never give up all of the hostages … And what would the message be to the Arabs in Judea and Samaria, that kidnapping Israelis is the best thing to do?” he asked rhetorically.
Mor ripped the Israeli media that has criticized him for his stance, saying, “The Israeli media doesn’t help. They lead the campaign” to vilify him. “But I feel that I am a messenger of the people of Israel. It is clear to me that the people of Israel want to win … They are connected to their roots, to the Land of Israel and to Judaism. They don’t want to be sold dreams and delusions that ‘it will all be OK, we can give in to terror and then deal with it later.’ We can’t ‘deal’ with it. If we surrender, we will pay a higher price.”
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Mor analogized the current situation to the Biblical Abraham, who used an army to rescue his nephew Lot, who had been kidnapped by four kings. Abraham “didn’t talk to them. He didn’t pay them. He fought a war until they surrendered. That is the way,” he said, adding, “The war cannot be about the hostages, and I say that as the father of a hostage. How many soldiers should be killed for the hostages? You don’t go to war to bring back hostages. You go to war for sovereignty, for deterrence. Then, when you win, you get your captives back.”
Israel used to know that “it was clear that there was no negotiating with terrorists,” he recalled. “We would try to save our hostages and take risks, but we could not give in to terrorism.” He pointed out that the Yachin Research Center had estimated that four times more Israelis were killed in terrorist attacks between the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993 and 2023 than in 1949-1992. “That means that since Israel gave in to terrorism, more Israelis were murdered. It’s clear … That needs to stop,” he commented.
“He is very strong, physically and mentally. He was very Zionist. He was a fighter and commander in the Golani Brigade &#8230; He’s not soft; he doesn’t whine. He is strong; he’s a leader. We are sure that if he is with other hostages, he is helping them and strengthening them,” Mor said of his son.
“Nova survivors said that Eitan left his hiding place and saved their lives, which his father said ‘tells you the most about him,’” Jewish Insider reported, as Mor added, “He could have gone home at 6:29, but he stayed to save people. He hid people and ran with them until he was kidnapped at 12:30, not by Hamas but by Gazan civilians.”

ISRAEL GAZA WAR

Father Of Israeli Hostage Delivers Ringing Message: Destroying Hamas Must Be The Main Objective

Father Of Israeli Hostage Delivers Ringing Message: Don't Prioritize Hostages Over Destroying Hamas

On Sunday, ABC News “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos hosted the USA CEO of the virulently anti-Israel group Doctors Without Borders, who responded to the harrowing video of an emaciated Israel hostage starved by Hamas by insisting that it was somehow Israel’s fault, implying that Hamas would feed the hostage if there were only food available.
The new propaganda video released by the terrorist group Hamas shows an emaciated Israeli hostage seized on October 7, 2023, being forced to dig his own grave.
The roughly five-minute clip shows Israeli hostage Evyatar David in a tunnel barely high enough for him to stand, “crossing off dates on a calendar and digging a grave,” the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/02/world-news/hamas-releases-chilling-video-of-living-skeleton-hostage-evyatar-david/">reported</a>.
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How psychopathic is Hamas?
It forced starving hostage Evyatar David to DIG HIS OWN GRAVE for the cameras. <a href="https://t.co/iMa404St4s">pic.twitter.com/iMa404St4s</a>
&mdash; Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) <a href="https://twitter.com/EylonALevy/status/1951668818167681329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Dr. Avril Benoit started by ignoring that Hamas has targeted the zone in which Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation operated.
“On June 11, 10 members of the GHF’s local workforce, on their way to a distribution site, were <a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/artc-ghf-says-hamas-brutally-attacked-aid-workers-at-least-5-massacred">murdered</a> by Hamas, according to the GHF,” <a href="https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/06/hamas-places-bounty-on-aid-workers-ghf.php">Long War Journal</a> noted, adding, “Days before the murders, Hamas and the Arrow Unit published statements deriding the new aid mechanism. They warned Palestinians that they would become a target of the ‘resistance’ if they associated themselves with entities linked to Israel and the United States.”
“We affirm that the resistance security forces and units now have full authorization and mandate to strike forcefully and decisively against any entity or individual that collaborates or coordinates with the enemy’s schemes or any treasonous entity outside the law and the traditions of our people. All collaborators, thieves, and criminal armed gangs are legitimate targets for the resistance units and security,” the Hamas statement <a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="https://x.com/JoeTruzman/status/1931830960750014642">said</a>.
But Benoit deliberately avoided the fact that Hamas has gone as far as murder to thwart the GHF’s efforts, saying, “The problem with the GHF is, of course, it’s unsafe. It’s an inefficient way to deliver aid. People have to cross very unsafe zones to reach those areas that are controlled by the IDF and military contractors from the U.S.”
Stephanopoulous then asked a question that, curiously, was left out of ABC News’ initial transcript of the interview: “We also saw those harrowing videos of a hostage held by Hamas. Airing videos like that is something of a war crime, isn’t it?”
“Airing the videos?” Benoit responded by desperately trying to make it look as though Hamas would feed the hostages if only there were more food available —which is patently false as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shocking-video-shows-hamas-terrorists-gorging-themselves-while-gaza-starves?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=26&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Shocking+Video+Shows+Hamas+Terrorists+Gorging+Themselves+While+Gaza+Starves">videos have surfaced showing Hamas members gorging themselves on food</a> — “Well, look, I think the situation for the hostages is absolutely horrific as well; if no food aid is coming in, everyone is at risk. Even aid workers are at risk. So when you talk about, you know, my own colleagues who are eating every second day and scrounging around for food, you can imagine that everyone is. So this is &#8212; this is part of the problem is that the aid coming in is controlled by Israel. And that is why in this genocide, we look to Israel to have an approach that is humanitarian.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;We are completely overwhelmed and starvation is making things all that much more catastrophic.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/MSF_USA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MSF_USA</a> CEO Avril Benoît discusses what her organization is seeing in Gaza. READ MORE: <a href="https://t.co/gEwEzNpPd3">https://t.co/gEwEzNpPd3</a> <a href="https://t.co/A9ntdlCEHv">pic.twitter.com/A9ntdlCEHv</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1952004888914763933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As NGO Monitor has <a href="https://ngo-monitor.org/ngos/medecins_sans_frontieres_doctors_without_borders_/">comprehensively delineated</a>, Doctors Without Borders is virulently anti-Israel. Here is just a sample of what NGO Monitor found:
<blockquote>
In December 2023, former MSF Secretary General Alain Destexhe published a report titled “<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RnHNK5fKVegDO6m0jqpXX6VpFJ_Pz1nV/view">Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), an Accomplice of Hamas?</a>” According to Destexhe, “The communication of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and its employees on the ground since 7 October shows a systematic bias in favour of Hamas and hostility to Israel. Doctors Without Borders has failed in its humanitarian purpose and violated its own charter, which proclaims the impartiality, neutrality and independence of the organization with regard to any political or religious power … Despite being subject to the MSF Charter, a significant proportion of its staff seem to share the Hamas point of view and support the terrorist attacks of 7 October. &#8230;
MSF rhetoric includes accusing Israel of “<a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="http://www.msf.org/en/article/west-bank-mind-eaten-away-violence-account-msf-psychologist-nablus">collective punishment</a>,” “<a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="http://www.msf.org/en/article/msf-team-entered-gaza-thursday-scale-msf-emergency-response-israeli-ground-offensive">indiscriminate bombings</a>,” and “<a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="http://www.msf.org/article/video-month-focus-july-2015">wholesale massacres</a>.” MSF has <a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="http://www.hilal.ps/Content/PDF/ab828696-d9e5-47c6-a6a6-972da4a603f4.pdf">provided funding</a> to the <a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="https://ngo-monitor.org/reports/abdel-shafi-community-health-associations-ties-to-the-pflp-terror-group/">Abdel Shafi Community Health Association</a> (ACHA), formerly known as the Red Crescent Society for the Gaza Strip (RCS4GS). ACHA was founded and is directed by senior members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Other employees have demonstrated support for Palestinian terror groups and their actions.
</blockquote>

Hostage-Families-Demand-Ceasefire-and-Deal

ABC Hosts Leader Of Anti-Israel Doctor Group Who Blames Israel For Hamas Starving Hostages

ABC News

Doctors without Borders

George Stephanopoulos

Media

Starvation

This Week

World

Videos of emaciated Israeli hostages — who were seized in the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre of over 1200 Israelis — surfaced on Friday, pointing out the irony of world criticism of Israel for allegedly starving Gazans while Islamist terror groups make no bones about starving their victims.
Footage of hostages <a href="https://x.com/OliLondonTV/status/1951320589857095798">Evyatar David</a> and <a href="https://x.com/amjadt25/status/1951065466421518569">Rom Braslavski</a> was released by Islamic Jihad and Hamas, showing their skeletal condition.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
For the rest of my life, I will judge the NGOs, media outlets, and governments around the world that gave this demonic behavior by Hamas a pass or turned a blind eye.
If Israel has to be alone in the face of this Islamist death cult, so be it. I stand with Israel. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EvyatarDavid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EvyatarDavid</a> <a href="https://t.co/PeHpVD6fx0">pic.twitter.com/PeHpVD6fx0</a>
&mdash; Sia Kordestani (@SiaKordestani) <a href="https://twitter.com/SiaKordestani/status/1951316791197884750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Ask yourself why Hamas released the photos of Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, who are actually starving, right after a big news cycle about food not getting into Gaza. They did it as a show of power, proof that the media, the influencers on the Left, and now many on the Right… <a href="https://t.co/nV2VPx7sVm">pic.twitter.com/nV2VPx7sVm</a>
&mdash; Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) <a href="https://twitter.com/bungarsargon/status/1951326554966868382?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The New York Times will probably tell you this is a starving Palestinian. 
It is in fact Evyatar David, an Israeli held hostage for almost two years. 
Palestinian terrorists have just released a video of Evyatar. <a href="https://t.co/C9ihZVH4Gp">pic.twitter.com/C9ihZVH4Gp</a>
&mdash; Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) <a href="https://twitter.com/AvivaKlompas/status/1951304211267772911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A real starving person in Gaza.
Palestinian terrorists have released a gruesome video of Evyatar David. An Israeli hostage who&#39;s been tortured for almost 2 years.
Share this photo with every media outlet there is. And watch them still not cover it. <a href="https://t.co/41jHGwqInK">pic.twitter.com/41jHGwqInK</a>
&mdash; dahlia kurtz ✡︎ דליה קורץ (@DahliaKurtz) <a href="https://twitter.com/DahliaKurtz/status/1951318351797453232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Hamas releases chilling video of hostage Evyatar David appearing skeletal and starved after 664 days in captivity. <a href="https://t.co/YTNLzCwpPh">pic.twitter.com/YTNLzCwpPh</a>
&mdash; Oli London (@OliLondonTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/OliLondonTV/status/1951320589857095798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The video triggered fury from a number who immediately drew comparisons between the way Islamist terror groups actually treat their hostages and the way they try to claim Israel treats their civilians.
“This isn’t just heartbreaking; it is a crime against everything decent left in this world,” said Amjad Taha, a United Arab Emirates-based strategist and political analyst who led the first independent youth delegation to Israel after the signing of the Abraham Accords.
“A hostage in Gaza, tortured and starved by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, was filmed in agony,” he continued. “If you can watch that footage and still call it ‘resistance,’ then you’ve buried your humanity long ago. This is not a liberation movement; it is a cult of cruelty. Islamists don’t build nations. They build cages, graves, and propaganda. This is not justice. It is modern-day Nazism, with the camera rolling like they were proud of it, while the United Nations stays silent, too afraid to speak. This is not just evil. It is a performance of evil, endorsed by silence, applauded by cowards, and excused by fake activists. Shame on every self-righteous fool who celebrates this. Shame on every mouth that dares to call it ‘freedom.’ And shame on the UN for being too scared, too compromised, or too useless to speak the damn truth.”
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May God cradle his shattered family in Israel with strength and mercy. This isn’t just heartbreaking; it is a crime against everything decent left in this world. A hostage in Gaza, tortured and starved by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, was filmed in agony. If you can watch… <a href="https://t.co/ZjqAImC2vS">pic.twitter.com/ZjqAImC2vS</a>
&mdash; Amjad Taha أمجد طه (@amjadt25) <a href="https://twitter.com/amjadt25/status/1951065466421518569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman noted, ‘This is what ‘starving’ looks like — Israeli hostage held by Hamas named Evyatar David. I haven’t seen a single picture of a Palestinian adult who looks anything like this (and, believe me, the @nytimes and other anti-Israel outlets are desperately looking for such a picture).”
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This is what “starving” looks like — Israeli hostage held by Hamas named Evyatar David. I haven’t seen a single picture of a Palestinian adult who looks anything like this (and, believe me, the <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> and other anti-Israel outlets are desperately looking for such a picture). <a href="https://t.co/6B09EyGdun">pic.twitter.com/6B09EyGdun</a>
&mdash; David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidM_Friedman/status/1951320449779908987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Braslavski’s family issued a <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/islamic-jihad-airs-video-of-hostage-rom-braslavski-they-broke-him-family-says/">statement</a> saying, “People are speaking a lot about what is happening in Gaza, about the hunger, and I ask all those who are speaking about hunger: Did you see our Rom? He doesn’t receive food, and he doesn’t receive medicine. He is simply forgotten there. They managed to break Rom. Even the most resilient person has their breaking point.”
“I know how many beatings he is taking,” his mother told Ynet News. “I know because Rom doesn’t cry. If he cries, it is because they are abusing him. Look at him. Thin, limp, crying.”
In addition to starving Evyatar David, Hamas also tortured him by <a href="applewebdata://D36FD9A0-1145-47C5-B9AC-C13A5E57EB01/v">bringing him to the site</a> to watch the release of the three hostages — Omar Wenkert, Omar Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen — in February.

Israel-Gaza Conflict

‘Cult Of Cruelty’: Ghastly Photos, Videos Of Emaciated Israeli Hostages Released By Gaza Terrorists

Islamic Jihad

Ten Americans, some of whom had been held hostage for months by Venezuela&#8217;s socialist government, are heading back home after the Trump administration secured their release on Friday.
In exchange for the 10 Americans, over 200 Venezuelan migrants that the United States had sent to El Salvador&#8217;s notorious CECOT prison will be released to Venezuela, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/world/americas/venezuela-us-prisoner-swap-migrants-el-salvador.html">reported</a>.
&#8220;Thanks to@POTUS’s leadership, ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela are on their way to freedom,&#8221; Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://x.com/secrubio/status/1946297566045278405">posted</a> on X. &#8220;I want to thank my team at the @StateDep &amp; especially [Salvadoran] President @nayibbukele for helping secure an agreement for the release of all of our American detainees, plus the release of Venezuelan political prisoners.&#8221;
Bukele said on Friday that his government &#8220;handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TDA). Many of them face multiple charges of murder, robbery, rape, and other serious crimes.&#8221;
The American hostages will make a stop in El Salvador after being released by Venezuela before returning to the United States.
&#8220;This operation is the result of months of negotiations with a tyrannical regime that had long refused to release one of its most valuable bargaining chips: its hostages,&#8221; Bukele wrote in a post shared by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. &#8220;However, thanks to the tireless efforts of many officials from both the United States and El Salvador, and above all, thanks to Almighty God, it was achieved.&#8221;
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Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TDA). Many of them face multiple charges of murder, robbery, rape, and other serious crimes.
As was offered to the Venezuelan… <a href="https://t.co/teuIT4GiRT">pic.twitter.com/teuIT4GiRT</a>
&mdash; Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) <a href="https://twitter.com/nayibbukele/status/1946296384035918284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Among the Americans held hostage by Venezuela is former Navy SEAL Wilbert Joseph Castaneda, who was detained last year while traveling, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prisoner-swap-us-venezuela-el-salvador/">reported</a>.
&#8220;We have prayed for this day for almost a year. My brother is an innocent man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime,&#8221; Castaneda&#8217;s family said in a statement. The family added that several traumatic brain injuries Castaneda suffered while serving his country &#8220;impaired his judgment and risk mitigation&#8221; and &#8220;led him to make a bad decision to travel to Venezuela.&#8221;
Another freed hostage is Lucas Hunter, an American and French citizen, who was on a kite surfing trip in Colombia when he was nabbed by Venezuelan authorities near the border, according to the Times.
A photo posted by the U.S. embassy in Venezuela showed the freed hostages waving American flags.
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Nothing says freedom like the American flag. Ten Americans freed from Venezuelan prisons today are coming home because of <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/nayibbukele?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nayibbukele</a>. 
America First in action. <a href="https://t.co/pc6bI0Wgnx">pic.twitter.com/pc6bI0Wgnx</a>
&mdash; Embajada de los EE.UU., Venezuela (@usembassyve) <a href="https://twitter.com/usembassyve/status/1946299817199653366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The release of the 10 Americans on Friday comes after the Trump administration got six Americans back home from the South American country in late January. After their release, some of the American hostages told the Times that they were beaten and subjected to &#8220;psychological torture.&#8221;
The United States has imposed <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10715">sanctions</a> on Venezuela, which is led by dictator Nicolas Maduro, targeting the country&#8217;s government and oil sector &#8220;in response to Maduro&#8217;s repression.&#8221;

Venezuelan migrants

Trump Admin Secures Release Of 10 Americans Held In Venezuela In Exchange For Hundreds Of Migrants

Americans

Global Politics

Marco Rubio

Nayib Bukele

Tren De Aragua

Venezuela

For most American families, the Fourth of July is a joyful celebration — grilling burgers in the backyard, watching fireworks light up the summer sky, and reflecting on the freedoms we’re fortunate to enjoy. We honor liberty, independence, and the founding ideals that shape this country.
For our family, it’s a reminder of the freedom that’s been denied to our son for far too long.
Omer is an American citizen — a kind, optimistic, sports-loving 21-year-old who grew up on Long Island. He was the kind of person who lights up a room, instantly makes new friends, and goes out of his way to include everyone. For over 600 days, Omer has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, alongside 49 others. He was taken from his army post on October 7, 2023. And to this day, no deal has brought him home.
The Fourth of July was always one of Omer’s favorite holidays. He loved everything about it — the spirit, the energy, the sense of unity it brought. One of his most vivid memories was joining a small-town Independence Day parade in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, during a cross-country Jewish youth trip. He soaked in the atmosphere — the music, the laughter, the feeling of belonging to something bigger than himself.
Omer had every reason to take a traditional path after high school. He was accepted to SUNY Binghamton and could have started a comfortable American college life. But instead, he chose to serve. He took a gap year in Israel and enlisted as a lone soldier in the Israel Defense Forces. His final post was near the Gaza border, where his mission was to protect nearby civilian communities.
The values we honor on Independence Day — freedom, justice, and human dignity — aren&#8217;t just words we say once a year. They are the foundation of this country. And when those values are threatened — when Americans are held by terrorists for nearly two years — they demand more than celebration. They demand action.
<div id="attachment_942937" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-942937" class="size-large wp-image-942937" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2199158540-864x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 12: Ronen Neutra and Orna Neutra speak about their son, Omer Neutra, who was killed by Hamas during a roundtable discussion with the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on February 12, 2025 in Washington, DC. Three more hostages were released on Feb. 8 as part of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2199158540-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2199158540-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2199158540-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2199158540.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images</div>
We have witnessed America&#8217;s incredible power in recent months. President Trump and his administration have shown that this nation can achieve the impossible when it sets its mind to it. We watched with profound gratitude as they secured the release of so many hostages, including American Edan Alexander. This is what America does — we fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. We are a nation that stands up for the vulnerable. We leave no one behind.
President Trump recently said it&#8217;s time to bring all the hostages home — and time for the war to end. We agree. Immense strength has been shown over the past 21 months. Incredible military achievements against Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas. Now, it is time for that strength to deliver peace.
But peace cannot begin until every hostage comes home.
There is no real end to the fighting in Gaza while 50 hostages remain in underground tunnels, cut off from the world, and while families like ours live in daily anguish. Peace cannot be built on the backs of unresolved suffering.
This is not a partisan issue. This is not just an Israeli issue. It is an American issue — and a human issue. Omer is one of our own, but so are the other 49 souls still trapped in darkness. If we mean what we say when we salute the flag or sing the national anthem, we cannot remain silent while any innocent person is held by a U.S.-designated terror group.
&#8220;Peace through strength&#8221; isn&#8217;t just a slogan. It&#8217;s a principle — one that must now lead to freedom for the living, dignity for the dead, and closure for families still waiting. The United States has influence, and it has leverage. It has shown it can move mountains when it chooses to act.
We call on President Trump to press regional leaders, allies, and stakeholders to come to the table and finalize a comprehensive deal. Not in phases, not with half-measures — but a deal that brings every hostage home. A deal that leaves no one behind — not the Americans, not the Israelis, not the Thai workers, not the elderly, not the men — every single one.
Omer is not a symbol or a headline. He is a son. A friend. A teammate. A young man who has always stood up for others. In that sense, he represents the very ideals we celebrate each Fourth of July. And he represents every hostage still waiting for freedom.
So this year, as Americans gather in backyards and parks, as fireworks light up the sky and flags wave proudly — we ask you to think of Omer. And of the 49 others still waiting to come home.
Don&#8217;t just wave the flag. Live its meaning. Call your elected officials. Say Omer&#8217;s name. Say all their names. Remind your representatives that freedom is not complete until it reaches every corner of human suffering.
Let this Independence Day be more than a celebration. Let it be a declaration of conviction—and the beginning of the end of this nightmare.
Because freedom means nothing if we stop fighting for those who’ve lost theirs.
* * * 
Orna and Ronen Neutra are the parents of American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

The 2024 Republican National Convention

This July 4th, Freedom Demands We Bring The Hostages Home

Gaza

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

New York City

Opinion

President Trump

Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old dual citizen who had been fighting as part of the Israeli war effort, met with President Donald Trump today in the oval office after being released by Hamas from a 584-day-long captivity.
He <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/03/us-news/freed-hostage-edan-alexander-welcomed-at-white-house-reveals-his-treatment-in-captivity-improved-after-trumps-election/">credited the president</a> for his release, saying: “I came to thank the person responsible for saving my life. It was deeply moving to be in the White House, the same place where my parents had fought for my release so many times, but this time together with them.”
He also told the president that his captors started treating him better as soon as he came into office.
“They weren’t too afraid of Biden,” Trump replied.
He also asked for Trump’s help in securing the release of the remaining hostages: “I told the most powerful man in the world what I went through, what my friends are enduring, and asked him to continue doing everything in his power.”
“I shared with the president my fear that continued fighting endangers the hostages. I hope he can achieve another historic breakthrough—a comprehensive deal to free all 50 hostages. I told him I am confident he is the person who can make it happen.”
Hamas released Alexander unconditionally in May, in what was seen as a “goodwill gesture” to Trump to get his help in reviving ceasefire talks with Israel.
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Trump is scheduled to speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next Monday and said he will be &#8220;<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-says-he-hopes-gaza-ceasefire-will-be-reached-sometime-next-week/">very firm</a>&#8221; with him on the need to end the war. He said that Netanyahu “wants it, too” and predicts that a ceasefire deal can be reached next week.
On Wednesday, Hamas announced it was considering the latest hostage-ceasefire deal proposed by Steve Witkoff, Middle East envoy for the Trump administration. Inner sources said that Hamas’ attitude toward it was “<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-says-he-hopes-gaza-ceasefire-will-be-reached-sometime-next-week/">generally positive</a>.”
Israel’s foreign minister likewise made a statement that Israel wants to resume talks “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-cease-fire-trump.html">as soon as possible.</a>”
Witkoff’s proposal is for Hamas to release 10 living Israeli hostages and return the bodies of 18 deceased hostages in return for a 60 day ceasefire. All hostages would be released if a permanent ceasefire was agreed upon during that time.

Donald Trump

Freed American Hostage Visits White House, Urges Trump To Free Remaining Hamas Captives

Executive

Terrorism

On Sunday, Israel Defense Forces announced they had recovered the bodies of three Israeli hostages murdered by Hamas who had been held since October 7, 2023.
“The bodies of SSGT Shay Levinson, Yonatan Samerano and Ofra Keidar, who were held hostage for 625 days in Gaza, have been recovered in a joint IDF and ISA military operation,” the IDF announced.
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Bodies of 3 Deceased Hostages Recovered
The bodies of SSGT Shay Levinson, Yonatan Samerano and Ofra Keidar, who were held hostage for 625 days in Gaza, have been recovered in a joint IDF and ISA military operation.
May their memories be a blessing. <a href="https://t.co/8FUo9XJwXo">pic.twitter.com/8FUo9XJwXo</a>
&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1936715024711450746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Keidar, 71, from Kibbutz Be’eri, was mother of three and the wife of Shmuel Keidar, who was murdered by Hamas in their home, Israel National News <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/410445">reported</a>. “Yonatan Samerano was brutally murdered and abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists, including a UNRWA employee, after fleeing the Nova music festival. Yonatan was 21 years old at the time of his death.”
Levinson, 19, was a tank commander in the “Oz” Battalion and was captured fighting Hamas terrorists on October 7.
 “Yesterday was Yonati’s Hebrew birthday,” Samerano’s father Kobi stated. “On his 23rd birthday, on the very day he was born, our Yonati was rescued in a heroic operation by the brave soldiers of the IDF and the Shin Bet. From the first moment, I believed with all my heart that our army would bring back my son. I never stopped believing, and that’s exactly what happened.&#8221;
“Our hearts are with the Keidar, Samerano, and Levinson families today,” the Hostages Families Forum stated. “Alongside the grief and pain, their return provides some comfort to the families who have waited in agony, uncertainty, and doubt for 625 days. We wish to express our deep gratitude to the IDF and security forces who acted with dedication and courage. The return of all the hostages is an essential condition for the process of national healing and recovery.”
&#8220;Particularly against the backdrop of current military developments and the significant achievements in Iran, we want to emphasize that bringing back the remaining 50 hostages is the key to achieving complete Israeli victory. There is a historic window of opportunity—the significant regional achievements enable Israel to end the war from a position of clear strength. The return of all hostages through a comprehensive deal—this is in Israel&#8217;s interest, this is the next stage, and this is the victory of this war. There will be no victory until the last hostage returns,” the forum added.

Israeli-Hamas conflict

Israeli Forces Retrieve Bodies Of 3 Hostages Killed By Hamas

This Sunday marks my second Father’s Day without my son, Bar. It feels unthinkable to even write that sentence. And yet, it is true.
Over 617 agonizing days and sleepless nights have passed since I last held my son, heard his voice, or felt the warmth of his presence. Bar Kuperstein was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, at the Nova Music Festival, and has been held captive in Gaza ever since, under brutal, inhumane conditions. He is one of 55 hostages still held by Hamas.
This Father’s Day, like the last, arrives with a crushing weight. There is no hug. No smile. No message, no call, no card. Only aching emptiness and the harrowing silence of uncertainty, absence, and despair.
Bar is 23 years old. He is my firstborn, the eldest of five siblings. He is not just my son, he is my heart, my compass, my light. A gentle giant with a kind soul. On that horrific morning of October 7, while rockets flew and bullets tore through the sky at the Nova Music Festival, Bar did not flee. He stayed behind to help. He tended the wounded, calmed the frightened, and helped others escape. He insisted on staying with the injured, even as the gunfire drew closer.
He had a chance to run, but he didn’t take it. That’s who Bar is — brave, selfless, and good to his core.
<div id="attachment_913445" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-913445" class="size-large wp-image-913445" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-10-42-AM-2184-1024x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Kupershtein family. Bar Kupershtein." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-10-42-AM-2184-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-10-42-AM-2184-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-10-42-AM-2184-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-10-42-AM-2184-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-10-42-AM-2184-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Kupershtein family.</div>
Bar has always been strong. In 2019, I was severely injured in a car accident while rushing to resuscitate a four-year-old girl as a volunteer medic. I lost my ability to walk and speak. Bar immediately stepped into the space where I could no longer stand and became our family’s rock. At just 18, he helped raise his siblings, supported our home, and brought light into our lives despite the darkness.
But even a young man like Bar cannot survive forever in the darkness of underground tunnels, without food, water, or minimal humanitarian conditions.
Several months ago, we saw a Hamas propaganda video in which Bar appeared silent, frightened, thin and hollow-eyed. My son, the love of my life, buried alive. A survivor who continues to suffer.
Since Bar’s abduction, I’ve made it my mission to be his voice. I’ve spent the past year relearning how to speak — not for myself, but for Bar. Last month, I sat in my wheelchair at the Gaza border, near Kibbutz Nir Oz, and shouted through tears: “Bar! I am speaking again! You can come back!”
To all the fathers celebrating this weekend: I hope you hold your children tight. I hope you tell them how much they mean to you. Because there are fathers like me who can only dream of that embrace.
To the international community, I say this: The lives of our children cannot be negotiable. Their freedom cannot be delayed. We need the world’s moral courage now — to stand with the families of hostages and demand their safe return. Indifference is a form of complicity.
And especially to you, President Trump: you too are a father. You know what it means to protect your children, to love them beyond words. I plead with your heart: Please, help us end this nightmare. We believe you have the power. Help put an end to this war and the suffering on both sides. Use your influence, your strength, your voice — to bring back my son Bar, and the 54 other hostages still held in Gaza.
<div id="attachment_934375" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-934375" class="size-large wp-image-934375" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2216851996-864x576.jpg" alt="TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - MAY 28: Barak Oz, the cousin of hostage Tel Kupershtein, hugs Bar's father, Tal Kupershtein, during a press conference with former hostages and families of hostages 600 days after the deadly Oct 7 Hamas attack, on May 28, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The event was attended by former hostages who were taken captive by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, as well as family members of current hostages. It is believed Hamas still holds 58 hostages who were among the roughly 250 people originally taken captive. Israel has continued its retaliatory war against in Gaza, where at least 53,000 people have been killed, according to the territory's health ministry. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2216851996-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2216851996-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2216851996-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2216851996.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Amir Levy/Getty Images</div>
No family should endure this. No child should be left to languish in darkness while the world moves on.
If Bar is freed, I will rise from this wheelchair. I will stand with every ounce of strength left in me and walk to him. I will wrap my arms around him and say, “Welcome home, son. You were never forgotten.”
Please bring back the happy in my Father’s Day. Bring back the sunshine of my life.
Bring Bar home. BRING HIM HOME NOW.
* * *
Tal Kupershtein is the father of Bar Kuperstein, who is held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Tal Kupershtein

All I Want For Father’s Day Is My Son Back

Fathers

The Israel Defense Forces announced Wednesday that it recovered the bodies of two more Israeli hostages from Gaza.
The IDF announced that it recovered the body of 59-year-old Yair Yaakov from the Khan Yunis area of the Gaza Strip. The other hostage’s name has not yet been released.
Yaakov is believed to have been abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, by Islamic Jihad <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm263j1g2rmo">terrorists</a> and taken to Gaza, where his body has remained for over 600 days. In February 2024, the kibbutz announced that Yaakov had been murdered in captivity.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-hostage-edan-alexander-reunites-family?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=American+Hostage+Edan+Alexander+Reunites+With+Parents+After+584+Days+In+Hamas+Captivity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER REUNITES WITH PARENTS AFTER 584 DAYS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY</a>
His partner, Meirav Tal, and his children, Or and Yagil Yaakov—who were 12 and 16 at the time—were also taken, but were released in the November 2023 hostage agreement.
Three <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/idf-recovers-bodies-of-two-american-hostages-in-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=9&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=IDF+Recovers+Bodies+Of+Two+American+Hostages+In+Gaza">other bodies of hostages</a> were recovered in the past seven days, including Israeli-American couple Judith Weinstein-Haggai and Gadi Haggai, as well as Thai national Nattapong Pinta. The recoveries come as Israel and Hamas continue to negotiate a ceasefire, with Hamas using hostage bodies as a bargaining chip.
The body of the father of three was recovered by the IDF troops of the Southern Command and underwent an identification procedure by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in cooperation with the Israel Police, according to the IDF.
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“Together with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the families that have lost what is dearest to them,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “I thank the fighters and commanders for another successful operation in the sacred mission to return our hostages.”
The return of the two bodies brings the total number of hostages remaining in Gaza to 53.
“We will neither rest nor be silent until we return home all of our hostages – the living and the deceased,” Netanyahu added. 
About a quarter of Kibbutz Nir Oz’s 400 residents were murdered or taken hostage by terrorists on October 7.
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Yagil mourned his father <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DKxVrbDojwt/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading">on Instagram</a> on Wednesday.
 “I’m sad to say this – I’m already waiting for your funeral. I knew this day would come,” the teenager wrote. “Thank you to the IDF and <a href="https://www.jpost.com/tags/shin-bet">Shin Bet</a> forces for the rescue. I hope we get the rest in a deal that won’t put soldiers at risk.”
Yaakov’s daughter, Shir, 22, was reportedly saved by terrorists failing to break into her apartment in the kibbutz six times, <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-857411#google_vignette">reported The Jerusalem Post</a>.
Yaakov was described as a &#8220;humble, simple man, who loved his family and music” and worked in both agriculture and a Kibbutz Alumim garage, by Kibbutz Nir Oz.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
&#8220;This is a much-needed closure, so that we can begin to look forward,&#8221; the Yaakov family said in a statement, reported The Jerusalem Post. &#8220;We thank from the bottom of our hearts the security forces and the brave soldiers who took part in the complex rescue operation. However, we reiterate our position &#8211; the lives of soldiers should not be at stake. The hostages must be returned in a deal that prevents further danger to the soldiers or the captives.&#8221;

Hostage And Missing Families Forum

IDF Recovers Bodies Of Two More Hostages In Gaza: ‘I’m Already Waiting For Your Funeral.’

The Israel Defense Forces recovered the bodies of two Israeli-Americans murdered by terrorists in an overnight mission in Gaza on Thursday.
Judith Weinstein-Haggai and Gadi Haggai were killed in Kibbutz Nir Oz while taking a morning walk on October 7, 2023, when terrorists began their massacre of Israeli civilians. The Palestinian Mujahideen terrorist organization took the elderly couple&#8217;s bodies and held them hostage for over 600 days.
According to the IDF, the Haggais&#8217; bodies were located and recovered from the area of Khan Yunis and underwent an identification procedure by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the Israeli Police, and the IDF Manpower Directorate&#8217;s Hostage Task Force.
“Together with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the dear families,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “We will not rest, nor will we be silent, until we return home all of our hostages — the living and the deceased.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-hostage-edan-alexander-reunites-family?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=American+Hostage+Edan+Alexander+Reunites+With+Parents+After+584+Days+In+Hamas+Captivity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER REUNITES WITH PARENTS AFTER 584 DAYS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY</a>
The return of the Haggais’ bodies brings the total number of hostages remaining in Gaza to 56. The bodies of two Americans remain hostage in Gaza: 19-year-old Itay Chen and 22-year-old Omer Neutra.
“We welcome the closure that we have been granted and the return for burial of our loved ones, who went out for a walk on that Black Sabbath morning and never came back,&#8221; the Weinstein-Haggai family said in a statement. “However, our hearts will not be whole until all 12 hostages from Nir Oz and all 56 hostages in total are brought back.”
On the morning of the attack, the couple recorded a 40-second video of themselves taking shelter in a field as an alert system played a recorded warning, and shared it in a group chat.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/idf-says-prepared-deal-with-greta-thunbergs-flotilla-en-route-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=IDF+Says+It%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%98Prepared%E2%80%99+To+Deal+With+Greta+Thunberg%E2%80%99s+Flotilla+En+Route+To+Gaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IDF SAYS IT’S ‘PREPARED’ TO DEAL WITH GRETA THUNBERG’S FLOTILLA EN ROUTE TO GAZA</a>
“What did she say?” Weinstein asked, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/kibbutz-says-gadi-haggai-abducted-oct-7-died-in-hamas-captivity-body-held-in-gaza/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Times of Israel</a> reported.
“Red alert,” Gadi responded.
Judith later called the emergency medical services, telling the dispatcher that her husband was “hit in the face” and killed.
“His face, parts of his brains are out of his — everything is covered with blood,” Judith said, adding that her husband was shot by terrorists and that she was sheltering under a tree in an unsafe place. Judith said she was also injured in the face and hand.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The IDF recovered the body of American Judith Weinstein-Haggai overnight.
Here’s her October 7 call to 911, describing her husband’s brains blown out by terrorists. She was wounded too, and the ambulance sent for her was reportedly hit by a rocket.
<a href="https://t.co/0iIfGPUf6e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/0iIfGPUf6e</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1930614394318172212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">June 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
The ambulance dispatched to assist Judith was hit by a rocket, according to her daughter, Iris Weinstein-Haggai.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/internet-trolls-convince-themselves-that-video-of-gazans-cheering-u-s-aid-is-fake?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Internet+Trolls+Convince+Themselves+That+Video+Of+Gazans+Cheering+U.S.+Aid+Is+Fake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INTERNET TROLLS CONVINCE THEMSELVES THAT VIDEO OF GAZANS CHEERING U.S. AID IS FAKE</a>
About a quarter of Kibbutz Nir Oz’s 400 residents were murdered or taken hostage by terrorists on October 7.
Judith, 70, was a poet, retired teacher, and New York native who also held Canadian citizenship. Gadi, 72, was a retired chef and jazz musician. The couple is survived by four children and seven grandchildren.
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A statement from the kibbutz described Judith and Gadi as the “power couple of Kibbutz Nir Oz” who fell in love when Judith heard Gadi playing the flute.
&#8220;They complete each other: he’s a goofball, just like a little kid, always dancing and laughing, while Judy is an English teacher, taking care of children, and sharing meditation and mindfulness techniques,&#8221; Kibbutz Nir Oz said.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters welcomed the return of the bodies of Judith and Gadi, saying that it “reminds us all that it is the state&#8217;s duty to bring everyone home, so that we, the families, together with all the people of Israel, can begin the process of healing and recovery.”

Judith Weinstein-Haggai and Gadi Haggai

IDF Recovers Bodies Of Two American Hostages In Gaza

Benjamin Netanyahu

Negotiations over hostages held by Hamas began again on Saturday between the terror group and Israel.
Talks renewed after a new offensive by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip. Hamas official Taher al-Nono said that the latest negotiations have begun without “preconditions,” according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-confirms-new-gaza-ceasefire-talks-with-israel-qatar-saturday-2025-05-17/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed negotiators to stay in Qatar. An Israeli official said the prime minister has kept contact with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff “in an effort to dissuade Hamas from its refusal and to advance a deal for the release of our hostages,” according to <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-hamas-say-gaza-talks-renewed-after-idf-initiates-major-new-offensive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Times Of Israel</a>.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz suggested that the new round of talks is because of Israel’s latest offensive, which was announced on Saturday. Katz said that the terror group’s current stance on negotiations “is in contrast to the uncooperative position they had taken up until this moment,” according to <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-854313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Jerusalem Post</a>.
Hamas last released a hostage on May 12. The terror group released the last living American citizen, Edan Alexander, from captivity after Alexander spent more than 18 months held hostage.
Israeli officials believe that the hostage group has as many as 23 hostages still alive. All but one of the hostages have been held by the terror group since October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists and Palestinians rushed across the border to Israel and attacked settlements and took hundreds captive.
Israel renewed its military campaign against Hamas on Saturday with airstrikes. It is unknown how many have been killed in the strikes. Hamas officials have claimed that more than 150 have died in the airstrikes, though the numbers are unreliable and Gaza Health Ministry data is <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/why-we-shouldnt-trust-the-facts-coming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspected</a> of being inflated and doctored for propaganda purposes.
Katz said that the new offensive, dubbed Operation Gideon Chariots, is being led with “great force,” according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-gaza-military-offensive-food-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>.
“The heroism of IDF soldiers, the unity of the people and the determination of the political echelon increase the chance of the return of the hostages – as it was then and as it is now,” said Katz.
IDF spokesman Col. Avichai Adraee said the Israeli military is “expanding and increasing the bombing and pressure on Hamas throughout the Strip – from north to south, above and below ground, and even outside the Strip.”
The new offensive will not stop until Israel has accomplished its aims of rescuing the hostages or having them returned, and until Hamas has been dismantled, military officials said.

Gaza City

Hamas Agrees To New Hostage Talks After Israel Pummels Terror Group In New Offensive

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