Ditza Or, mother of hostage Avinatan Or, delivers a heart-wrenching yet uncompromising demand to Israel’s leaders: end indecision, defeat Hamas, or step aside and bring the hostages home.
At the National Vision Conference on Thursday evening — hosted by the Tkuma movement and the Yesha Council — the room fell silent as Ditza Or, mother of Hamas-held hostage Avinatan Or, took the stage. Her words carried the raw weight of both personal anguish and national urgency.
“Next week, our daughter Emuna is getting married, and our hearts are filled with hope that Avinatan will surprise us and arrive, just as he always did,” she said, her voice trembling. “This dream is what sustains us.”
A Mother’s Pain, A Nation’s Dilemma
Or spoke not only as a desperate mother but as an Israeli citizen demanding clarity and courage from her government.
“If there had been no hostages on October 7, only the other atrocities, we would already be in the midst of a full-scale military campaign. The continued presence of hostages is what enables the state to keep speaking of a ‘new Middle East.’ I didn’t choose this path — but I demand his return. And as long as he’s there, I see it as my mission.”
‘This Is Not a Real War’
Her tone hardened as she condemned the government’s war strategy.
“We are not conducting a real war aimed at bringing everyone back. Soldiers returning from the field describe operational constraints and restrictions. There is no fighting directed at securing a decisive result.”
The Challenge to Netanyahu
Turning directly to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Or issued a stark ultimatum:
“If you do not intend to secure a decisive victory, then surrender. Bring back all the hostages and close this chapter. Right now, Israel is on the fence — not rescuing the hostages, not defeating Hamas, and at the same time facing international condemnation and sanctions. I call on the government to choose — honestly, sincerely, and with integrity. Only then can we win this war.”
Her speech crystallized the frustration of countless Israeli families caught between the longing for their loved ones’ safe return and the demand for a decisive military outcome. In just a few minutes, Ditza Or turned personal grief into a rallying cry — and put Israel’s leadership on notice: indecision is not an option.
