President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog met today with Liri Albag who recently returned from Hamas captivity in Gaza and her family.
President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog met today (Friday) with Liri Albag — who recently returned from Hamas captivity in Gaza — and her family, for a personal and emotional meeting at their home ahead of the festival of Passover which begins on Saturday evening.
The meeting was held in the spirit of the Passover, the festival of freedom. During the visit, the President heard from Liri about the difficult experience she endured in captivity at the hands of Hamas terrorists, the rehabilitation process she is going through, and the message she wishes to share with the Israeli public. The President expressed his admiration for Liri’s courage, strength, and willingness to speak out — even in a time of public turmoil.
During the meeting, the President said: “Liri, we came here to support you. There is so much good in the world, and that good is with you. You are a voice of courage and hope, and I embrace you on behalf of an entire nation. I read the harsh attacks and comments written about you, and my heart broke. There is no place for such venom — especially not toward someone who went through hell. I want you to know you are not alone. We must not give these things a platform. When the enemy sees us divided, they rejoice. We must preserve our unity, especially in this time when our enemies seek to destroy us.”
President Herzog reiterated the State of Israel’s commitment to bringing all the hostages home, and the importance of providing emotional support to those returning from captivity and their families.
Liri turned to the President and said: “We need all of them back with us this Passover, all 59 hostages. We all want them to come home as soon as possible.”
The President added: “Passover is the festival of freedom — and nothing symbolizes freedom more than your return home. You are the true embodiment of the word freedom. As we read the Haggadah, we will think of you — and we will not forget for a moment the 59 hostages still cruelly held in captivity in Gaza. We will not stop acting until every last one of them returns.”
