Eliya Cohen, kidnapped during the October 7 massacre and released earlier this year in exchange for convicted terrorists, spoke at a Purim party about his diagnosis of epilepsy three years ago.
At the party hosted by Shai Graucher, Cohen shared that he used to host trance parties, and during a Purim festival three years ago, he experienced his first epileptic seizure.
"I arrived at the hospital in poor condition," he recalled. "It led to a very rough period in my life. I was constantly asking G-d, 'Why?' My grandfather died a week later, I was in a traffic accident, all in the span of a few days, and I was just asking - what on earth?"
During his time in captivity, Cohen told his fellow captives about the feeling of a lack of understanding of what he experienced during that period.
"I thought that it was the worst thing that I had suffered in my life," he said. But later, he understood that his epilepsy was what led to his release.
Cohen shared that his mother turned to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and explained the gravity of his health condition. As part of the "humanitarian" deal which led to the release of hostages who have health problems, Cohen was released home.
"So I had an epileptic seizure three years ago, I asked myself why this awful thing was happening to me - and here I am, right here," he said.