Idit Ohel, whose son Alon was kidnapped on October 7, emphasized the urgent need for clear leadership and effective communication to return the hostages, according to a report on Israeli Media.
"I really hope that the government and politicians will be a bit more decisive and push forward. I do not think there is a technical problem with the agreement. It is a matter of deciding to make a deal," Ohel asserted.
"Our problem is that nothing has been done during this entire time. Since November, nothing has changed. There’s only increased desire from Israeli citizens [for the hostage’s return]. Polls show that people want to end the war and make a deal."
"I am desperate, I want my son home," Ohel further emphasized. "I do not understand how, to this day, people have not woken up and realized that something is wrong with the way our government is functioning,” Ohel added. She then claimed “There is no real fighting in the South,” stressing that the alleged lack of information concerning the ongoing fight against Hamas is “because no one involved in decision-making talks to us. They don’t communicate, they don’t ask. We’re not a priority for them. Not just for the families of the hostages, but for all citizens.
“My son was kidnapped during their watch, but they refuse to take responsibility for it.” Ohel then claimed that government officials do not communicate with her since “they do not admit they are at fault, or did something wrong.” She further claimed that government officials only communicate with families of hostages who “have a political agenda or they want to tick a box.”
“If the government had gathered the families of the 114 hostages and said, 'This is what we’re doing now,' it would have been better, but instead, we hear everything from the media and try to interpret it. It’s absurd," Ohel said.
Government inaction
She then wondered, "Why has no one taken responsibility until now? Ask those who make the decisions. I’m not making decisions; I’m just a mother who wants her son home because he was kidnapped from Israel as an innocent citizen. No one is waking up and saying something about this is morally wrong.
“The government needs to give me a reason to believe in it. Right now, it’s not doing that. The military has taken responsibility and is trying to make things right. Others have not even said sorry. If things continue like this, who will want to live here? The good people are leaving," she added.
"Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] flew to give a speech [at the US Congress], but what did he say, what did he accomplish? We are still in the same place. He did nothing. He acted for himself. We are apparently blind to something," Ohel argued.
Despite a lack of direct communication from government officials, she said, "I feel closer to something happening because everyone is on edge now. Not just the families of the hostages, but also the evacuees and the reservists. They feel like enough is enough, that it is too much.
“People are taking to the streets because they understand something is not working. The people know how to function excellently. I have support from the community. It’s the politicians who are disconnected from it,” Ohel further emphasized
The Ohel Family
The family lives in the settlement of Lavon in the Misgav Regional Council.
Alon, 22, planned to move to Tel Aviv with friends at the end of a trip in the East. Additionally, he wanted to start studying at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, as a pianist. On the evening of October 7th, he decided to go with friends to the Nova Festival, where he was kidnapped from the armored vehicle in which he was hiding.
"From that moment, the only thing I do is look forward. What kind of home will he return to, how will I make sure he has the things he wants?" his mother shares.
"His friends kept a room ready for him in the apartment in Tel Aviv. To this day, the bed is still ready. We ensured he was accepted into the jazz program at Rimon, and the door was open for him. He loves to barbecue, so we bought a new grill," his mother explained.
She then stressed that “It is important to me to give him a sense of a supportive and cohesive community… like with the Arab sector living near us in Misgav area. We have always lived together feeling that we are all part of this place. And everyone needs to ensure there is no hatred in their community. Everyone has the right to freedom - the same right which was taken from my son."
Ohel then emphasized that "not enough people in the country understand that today it’s me and Alon, and tomorrow it could be them. The feeling is that people are retreating into a hole to keep it from coming closer to them, like a virus.
“We all feel frustration and helplessness,” Ohel stressed, adding, “If we let this overwhelm us, we will not overcome it, and the country will easily return to October 7. Those who think that external measures, like building another fence, will create security are living in a fantasy. Security is not physical, it’s internal. In the end, every war ends with an agreement. Meanwhile, every day people are dying, not only in Gaza but also in the north. When will they say enough?"