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Emmy-Nominated Film About Israeli Siblings Released From Hamas Captivity Screens in New York
(From left) Yoram Zak, Itay Regev, Noa Argamani, Maya Regev, and Ilan Regev at a screening of “Brother & Sister in Captivity” in New York City on Sept. 23, 2024. Photo: Yoram Zak
A film about two Israeli siblings who returned from Hamas captivity in Gaza after being abducted at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 screened in New York City on Monday, two days before representing Israel at the News and Documentary International Emmy Awards ceremony in Manhattan.
“Sister & Brother in Hamas Captivity” by award-winning director Yoram Zak is an episode of “Uvda,” Israel’s leading investigative and current affairs television program from Keshet Media Group. The episode was nominated in the category of current affairs and competed against nominees from Brazil, India, and the United Kingdom.
The “Uvda” episode is about Maya and Itay Regev, siblings from Herzilya who were kidnapped at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 by Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists during their rampage across southern Israel, in which they murdered 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages. At the Nova Festival alone, nearly 400 people were killed and approximately 40 others kidnapped.
Zak spoke to the Regev siblings about their captivity for the “Uvda” episode, but prior to their return home, Zak’s film crew followed their parents, Mirit and Ilan Regev, starting from the 10th day of their children’s captivity until the whole family was reunited.
The Regev siblings were kidnapped along with their friends Omer Shem-Tov, who remains in Hamas captivity and turned 21 in late October, and Ori Danino, 25. On Sept. 1, the Israel Defense Forces announced Danino’s death and the recovery of his body from a Hamas tunnel in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. There are still 101 hostages that remain in Hamas captivity, 97 of whom were kidnapped on Oct. 7.
In the “Uvda” episode. Maya, 21, and Itay, 19, also talked about the days leading up to the Oct. 7 massacre. The siblings vacationed in Mexico with their family for three weeks in late September and early October last year. They shared with Zak photos and videos from their fun-filled trip to Mexico before they landed back in Israel on Oct. 6 in the evening. The next day, they went with friends to the Nova Music Festival.
Among other things discussed in the “Uvda” episode, the Regev siblings talked about passing notes to each other during captivity when they were separated, which gave them strength to survive. Itay explained how he was held captive in the same room as Shem-Tov and together they managed to say the Jewish prayer over wine and bread every Friday, in honor of Shabbat, by reserving some grape juice and pretzels given by their captors. Maya talked about befriending another Hamas hostage who ultimately died beside her in captivity, complications with her leg injury while held in Gaza, and staying optimistic that she would return to Israel to her family.
Maya and Italy were among 105 civilians released from captivity in Gaza during a weeklong truce in late November between Israel and Hamas. Both were shot in the legs by terrorists on Oct. 7.
The Regev siblings, their father, and Zak attended the screening of “Sister & Brother in Hamas Captivity” in New York City on Monday that was hosted by The Jewish National Fund and the Israeli Consulate. They participated in a Q&A after the screening. Also in attendance was Noa Argamani, a former Hamas hostage abducted on Oct. 7 who was rescued by the IDF in June.
Maya explained to the audience that she had eight surgeries on her left leg upon returning to Israel and had to undergo many months of physical therapy and other treatments to regain her ability to fully walk again. Zak, who is the producer of the “Big Brother” television series in Israel, said that Monday’s screening was the first time he had seen her walk unassisted.
Zak explained that the goal of the film is to bring awareness to what Israelis experienced on Oct. 7. Maya talked about having a hard time moving on with her life when so many hostages are still in captivity, and that she will continue to do what she can to bring awareness to the suffering that the hostages have experienced since Oct. 7.
“I know that they would do the same for me and I know what they’re going through,”she said. “I know they are in pain, they are starving, they are tired, scared, all the emotions. And we [Italy and I] are the best people to know what’s really going on and maybe people also want to listen to us. So I can affect people. I think it’s really important. It’s really hard, but I know everyone else would do it for me so I know I have to do it for them.”
Maya and Itay both said the hardest and most surprising part about coming back to Israel after being held hostage in Gaza was that so many people knew who they were — a newfound fame they wish they didn’t have. Itay talked in Hebrew about being overwhelmed with all the love and support he got from fellow Israelis upon returning to Israel, which he described as the highest high after experiencing the lowest low while being in Gaza. He said he feels like he has lived two lives — his life before Oct. 7 and his life after the Hamas terrorist attacks.
“I didn’t choose this, [but] everyone comes to me in the street and asks to hug me, and kiss me, and take photos with me and it’s really weird,” Maya said. “This is the hardest part, because every time somebody comes to me, it’s a reminder that I went through something horrible. And I don’t need that reminder. I already know that. My wish is that everybody would walk past me and smile or something, and that’s it.”
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Trump Nominates Marco Rubio for US Secretary of State
US Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, Sept. 10, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed that he will nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to serve as secretary of state in his incoming administration, a potential signal that the next White House will take a more adversarial posture toward Iran.
Trump’s confirmation came a couple days after several media outlets reported that he was expected to tap Rubio, 53, to head the US State Department. The move to place a lawmaker known for his hawkish foreign policy views as the nation’s top diplomat has mollified concerns among some critics that the second Trump administration would adopt a more isolationist approach to international affairs.
“Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom. He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said in an official statement. “I look forward to working with Marco to Make America, and the World, Safe and Great Again!”
Rubio issued a brief statement advocating an approach of “peace through strength” to international relations.
“As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda. Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else,” Rubio said on X/Twitter.
Since his election to the Senate in 2010, Rubio has developed a reputation as a foreign policy hawk, advocating for greater investments in the US military and a tougher approach to adversaries such as Iran, China, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Rubio’s policy views have previously resulted in conflict with more isolationist members of the Republican Party, who have argued that the US should step back from international conflicts and increase focus on domestic issues.
The selection of Rubio also indicates the incoming Trump administration will be diplomatically supportive of Israel.
In the year following the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel last Oct. 7, Rubio has steadfastly signaled his support for the Jewish state, resisting calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and underscoring the importance of Israel achieving a decisive win against Hamas.
He stated in October 2023 that Israel has “no choice but to seek the complete eradication of Hamas in Gaza,” adding that “this tragically necessary effort will come at a horrifying price” and that “the price of failing to permanently eliminate this group of sadistic savages is even more horrifying.”
In May 2024, the senator cautioned that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist organization in Lebanon, could soon break out into full-scale war.
“The imperative that Israel has at some point to address it, even though there’s a real threat there of a full-scale war with Hezbollah, which militarily is a lot more challenging and destructive,” Rubio said.
Last month, Rubio condemned Iran’s direct attack against Israel after the Iranian regime fired a barrage of nearly 200 ballistic missiles at the Jewish state.
“I urge the reimposition of a maximum pressure campaign against Iran and fully support Israel’s right to respond disproportionately to stop this threat. The United States will continue to stand with Israel,” Rubio said in a statement.
Rubio has also assigned blame to Iran for fomenting instability and chaos in the Middle East, adding that the regime has also acted as the “primary” oppressor of its own civilians.
“The primary source of violence, conflict, suffering, and instability in the Middle East is the criminal ‘Islamic Republic’ regime which has also oppressed the people of [Iran] for almost [45] years,” Rubio said on X/Twitter.
Beyond Rubio, Trump has also handpicked other administration members with pro-Israel bonafides. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), a lawmaker who has gone viral for her blistering repudiations of university presidents over their response campus antisemitism, has been selected to serve as ambassador to the United Nations. Trump also selected Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) to serve as his next national security adviser.
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Trump’s Top National Security Picks Have Expressed Strongly Pro-Israel, Anti-Iran Views
US President Donald Trump is interviewed by then-Fox and Friends co-host Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, US, April 6, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
US President-elect Donald Trump’s selections for national security adviser and defense secretary have a history of making statements in support of Israel’s right to defend itself from neighboring threats.
In the week following his resounding victory at the polls, Trump has swiftly moved to fill his incoming cabinet with allies of Israel.
Among his top national security picks, the president-elect has chosen US. Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) to serve as his national security adviser and nominated Fox News host and Army National Guard officer Pete Hegseth as the next secretary of defense.
Waltz, a Green Beret and former Pentagon policy adviser, has developed a hawkish reputation on foreign policy matters. He supported Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Iran in October, arguing that the Jewish state should target Kharg Island, a major hub of the regime’s oil exports. The representative also suggested that Israel attack Iran’s nuclear facilities outside of Tehran. The lawmaker has openly criticized the Biden administration for allegedly holding Israel back from a full force retaliation against Iran.
Waltz has also argued that the US should attempt to weaken Iran through sanctioning the Chinese buyers of Iranian oil, saying that isolating Iran economically would cripple their ability to finance the operations of terrorist groups such as Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah. He has also helped spearhead bipartisan efforts to recategorize the Houthis in Yemen as an official international terrorist organization, a move that he argues would isolate the group by making financial transactions with them illegal.
On Tuesday, Trump raised eyebrows by tapping Hegseth to head the Pentagon. Hegseth, a former infantry officer in the Army National Guard deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, has repeatedly expressed affinity for Israel. Hegseth, a devout Christian, argued on television that Jews have a right to live in Israel on Biblical grounds. In his 2020 book, American Crusade, Our Fight to Stay Free, he stated that Israel is “central to the story of Western civilization” and that the Jewish state is “inextricably linked” to America.
“If you love America, you should love Israel. We share history, we share faith, and we share freedom. We love free people, free expression, and free markets,” he wrote. “And whereas America is blessed with two big, beautiful oceans to protect it, Israel is surrounded on all sides by countries that either used to seek, or still seek, to wipe the nation off the map.”
During a 2016 trip to Israel, Hegseth said that he was “struck by the pervasive sense of purpose which permeates Israel and its people who understand the special nature of its founding and defense.” He also said that America can “learn from Israel” and that the Jewish state “is indispensable for the future of the West and human freedom.”
Following the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force responsible for overseeing Iran’s proxies and terrorist operations abroad, Hegseth urged then-President Trump to bomb Iran’s nuclear production facilities.
“I happen to believe that we can’t kick the can down the road any longer in trying to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. They used the killing of Soleimani as an excuse to say ‘we’re scrapping the Iran Deal.’ We all know they were scrapping it anyway,” Hegseth said on Fox News, adding that America should notify Iran of its plans to destroy its “nuclear production facilities,” “key infrastructure,” “missile sites,” and “port capabilities.”
Hegseth also argued that attempts to restrain Israel from direct confrontation with Iran are “ridiculous” and that the Islamic regime represents an “existential threat” to the Jewish state.
“Israel wants to deal with Iran, we should let them … If it was not for Israel, Iran would have had the bomb already,” he said.
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American Jewish Organizations React to Trump’s Choice for US Ambassador to Israel
Mike Huckabee looks on as Donald Trump reacts during a campaign event at the Drexelbrook Catering and Event Center, in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, US, Oct. 29, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
American Jewish organizations were quick to react to US President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he would choose former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be the next US ambassador to Israel after he assumes office in January.
“Mike has been a great public servant, governor, and leader in faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East!” Trump wrote in his announcement.
Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, has long been a vocal pro-Israel voice. He has repudiated the anti-Israel protests that erupted in the wake of Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel last Oct. 7 and criticized incumbent US President Joe Biden for sympathizing with anti-Israel protesters during his speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC). The incoming ambassador also lambasted the anti-Israel encampments at elite universities, stating that there should be “outrage” over the targeting and mistreatment of Jewish college students.
Ted Deutch, the CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), posted on X on Tuesday that his organization “looks forward to working with Gov. Huckabee and newly appointed Special Envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff to strengthen the US-Israel relationship, bolster Israel-diaspora relations, and promote strong connections between American Jewry and Israel.”
Other Jewish communal organizations, such as the Jewish Federations of North America and the Anti-Defamation League, have so far not made statements.
The Republican Jewish Committee (RJC) said it was “thrilled” with the choice. “As a man of deep faith,” the RJC wrote, “we know Governor Huckabee’s abounding love of Israel and its people is second to none.”
It continued, “As the Jewish state continues to fight an existential war for survival against Iran and its terrorist proxies, Governor Huckabee will represent America’s ironclad commitment to Israel’s security with distinction.”
On the other side, however, the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) called Huckabee “utterly unqualified for this role” and argued that “his extremist views with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not further the national security interests of the United States or advance prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”
Huckabee told Israel’s Army Radio in his first interview since the announcement of his ambassadorship that “of course” the annexation of the West Bank is a possibility during Trump’s second presidential term.
“Unfortunately, when it comes to the US-Israel relationship,” the JDCA concluded, “Donald Trump will continue to only be motivated by his own narrow self-interest, and we’re deeply concerned about what that means for the United States and Israel.”
J Street also opposed the choice, writing in a statement that “Huckabee, a right-wing, evangelical minister with a long history of championing settlement expansion, annexation, and a radical ‘Greater Israel’ agenda, holds principles and espouses views that — if now implemented — would shatter the foundations on which a healthy and strong US-Israel relationship has been built over the past 75 years.”
J Street on Monday urged the Biden administration to withhold offensive weapons from Israel as part of a partial arms embargo, arguing that the United States needs to hold Israel accountable for alleged human rights “violations” before Trump takes office.
Huckabee has taken positions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict considered further to the right than most American Jews and politicians. The former governor has defended Israel’s right to build settlements in the West Bank, acknowledging the Jewish people’s ties to the land dating back to the ancient world.
“There is no such thing as the West Bank — it’s Judea and Samaria,” Huckabee has said, referring to the biblical names for the area. “There is no such thing as settlements — they’re communities, they’re neighborhoods, they’re cities. There is no such thing as an occupation.”
Huckabee has also argued, including during his 2008 US presidential campaign, that any future Palestinian state should be created from land in Arab countries, rather than from territory that Israel captured in 1967 during the Six-Day War.
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