Anat Angrest, the mother of captive IDF soldier Matan Angrest, participated in a session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and sent a poignant message: The State of Israel can not allow itself to ignore the abducted soldiers.
In an interview with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News, she expressed her pain and frustration and called for the government to change its policy on the issue.
"I came especially to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to speak about the abducted soldiers who were neglected in all the deals up until now," Angrest states. "We are not ready to sit quietly. Even though they told us not to publicize the soldier issue, we are now putting the soldiers up front."
Anat says that it is not just about her son but about sending a message to every soldier on the battlefield. "You send soldiers to battle, they need to know that if G-d forbid they'll be abducted or they'll be in Matan's position, the State of Israel would take care of them and won't leave them behind."
Regarding the decision to publish the footage of Matan's abduction and of him in captivity, she says: "It's part of the process we went through. We understood that if we continued sitting in silence, it would be easy for the State of Israel to leave our sons behind. For this silence, my Matan is paying a much higher price. It's against our character and our behavior, but they don't leave us any other choice."
She emphasizes the feelings of helplessness and pain from the lengthy uncertainty: "The fact is that Matan is still there, injured. I received an indication that the State of Israel is committed to him - yes, I see a commitment to soldiers with foreign citizenship, but the "Israeli government did not include soldiers in any deal.
Angrest recounts the moment she first saw the footage of her son. "I tried not to be exposed to the difficult documentation; there's more, but I tried to protect myself. As much as I try to remain hopeful that Matan survived and is coming home soon, it brings me back to thinking about how he was abducted and what he's going through there."
She describes her meeting with the captive IDF observers who met Matan in captivity. "The observers had a few run-ins with Matan there. They know exactly what he's going through."
The hostage's mother notes that she feels that the Prime Minister is not involved enough. "During the meeting with Netanyahu, I got the feeling that he is not aware of Matan's condition. I left so frustrated. I said that I left with a feeling that there is a lack of commitment to Matan.
"I am almost sure that there's a deal on the table, and the Prime Minister, for one reason or another, is not taking it. We know that for a year and a half already, there could have been deals to bring them all back, but they aren't happening because the Prime Minister was not prepared to announce the end of the war. When there is a deal, I will not let it exclude soldiers and the deceased."
Asked if she believes a deal should be made even if it ends the war, she states: "Ending the war is not a price, it's an achievement. Returning the hostages is the immediate goal, its life and death. That's what needs to be done, and that's what needed to happen a long time ago."
Ahead of the meeting between the Prime Minister and US President Trump, she is holding on to some hope: "The US understands that this needs to end."
She admits that she has tough feelings going into the Passover holiday. "We aren't going into any holiday - there's no such word "celebration" for us. We will be at Hostages Square with other supportive citizens who are also unable to celebrate a holiday."