In an interview with journalist Ofer Hadad, captivity survivor Amit Soussana shared experiences from her time in captivity and her struggle with the difficult memories after returning to Israel.
"In the last week of captivity, I was with Keith Siegel; we talked all the time, and he encouraged me. The terrorists told him he would be released before me, but in the end, I was released before him. For me, it felt like I abandoned him there, and I carried that thought until his release," Soussana recounted.
"When Keith returned, we spoke on the phone. I was apprehensive about that conversation, and I’m already looking forward to meeting him," she added. "Keith came back very pale and thin, but very strong, like all the people we see coming out of there. I was fortunate to return to a family that is okay, alive, and healthy. You see the strength of Yarden Bibas and Eli Sharabi, who found it within themselves to somehow move forward and fight for those who are still there [in captivity]."
She also spoke about the importance of unity among the people for the sake of the hostages still held in Gaza. "When I was in captivity, I couldn’t imagine divisive conversations among the nation, turning the issue of the hostages into something political. When I was in Gaza, I saw the unity of the people, and it strengthened me."
"I constantly think about what the hostages in Gaza are going through now when they see what’s happening here. Think about us—there’s no right, left, religious, secular; that’s nonsense. It’s us, the good, against evil. And that’s what sets us apart," she emphasized.