Einav Zangauker celebrated her son Matan’s return at a mass rally in Hostages Square, thanking the IDF and the public while sharply blaming the government for the October 7 collapse and vowing to keep fighting until every hostage and fallen soldier is returned.
Einav Zangauker, mother of Matan, who was released from captivity earlier this week, addressed a packed rally in Hostages Square, Tel Aviv on Saturday night — delivering an emotional blend of gratitude, praise, and condemnation.
Zangauker opened by describing the private joy of reunion:
“Matan, my son — our son — is home. Right now, he’s sitting in our living room watching you, the people of Israel, and his heart is full of gratitude and appreciation.”
She credited nationwide determination, persistence, faith and hope for his return and pledged to continue fighting until “the last fallen hostage is returned” and every family can bury its loved one with dignity. Zangauker vowed:
“We will continue to fight for those same values, and we will do whatever it takes to bring everyone home.”
Paying tribute to Israel’s security forces, she offered deep thanks to the IDF soldiers:
“You sacrificed everything — everything — for my Matan and the other hostages, for the State of Israel.”
Turning to the bereaved families, Zangauker expressed profound empathy and sorrow:
“I’m sorry and ask forgiveness that you had to pay the highest price. My heart will always be with you.”
But the rally’s tone shifted sharply as Zangauker held the government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for the failures of October 7. Her indictment sparked boos and heated reaction from the crowd:
“They are responsible for children being kidnapped in their pajamas from their beds… They are responsible for the abandonment on that day and every day since.”
She criticized the state leadership for perceived negligence before and after the massacre, accusing officials of failing the public and the hostages — a refrain she insisted would not be erased by renaming the war.
Zangauker also lauded the civic mobilization that filled the gap she said the government left: citizens, grassroots groups, and protesters who, she said, stood by hostage families in the streets and pressured leaders to act.
“You, the people of Israel, stood by us… You raised your voices with us against those who chose silence.”
Concluding on a personal note, she announced with visible emotion that she could now return to her role as a mother:
“And now, for the first time in two years, I allow myself to fulfill my dream — to return to being a mother to Matan, to Natalie, and to Shani.”
