Iris Haim, the mother of Yotam Haim who was kidnapped on October 7th and later killed by friendly fire, has voiced opposition to the planned economic strike intended to pressure the government into advancing a deal for the release of the hostages.
In a personal statement Haim explained why she believes such a move is misguided. “Today, hundreds of thousands of people will wake up with the feeling that they are doing something good for the hostages and their families. That feeling has been driving people into the streets for years, long before the current struggle. We want to do good for others. But these protests have always ended up being opposition to one or another decision of the elected government,” she wrote.
Haim stressed that the strike would deepen divisions in Israeli society without achieving any tangible results. “Shutting down the economy, when life is already far from normal, is in my opinion a mistake. Everyone wants the hostages to come home. But when some strike and others do not, people begin to feel judged—as though not striking means they do not care. There is no one in Israel who does not care. Every family has contributed—whether with money, with volunteering, or with the lives of their children.”
She warned that the initiative could serve the interests of Hamas rather than the hostages. “Hamas is watching and learning. They see that they are succeeding in shutting down Israel’s economy. How convenient for them that we are doing this for them,” Haim wrote.
While expressing her readiness for “far-reaching political concessions” to secure the hostages’ release, she argued that damaging the economy was not the way forward. “This strike will achieve nothing except a fleeting sense of having acted. It will deepen divisions and push the country toward chaos. The next step is anarchy, from which there will be no return,” she cautioned.
Haim concluded with an appeal for unity. “We must consider our actions for the benefit of the entire nation. The shutdown of the economy is another small victory for Hamas. We sympathize with the families all the time, but if every major decision drags us into war with each other, the end will come. I opposed these demonstrations even when Yotam was still alive in Gaza.”