Family members of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza arrived at the Knesset on Wednesday and delivered emotional testimonies to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, calling on lawmakers to work to secure the release of their loved ones.
Ofir Braslavski, father of Rom Braslavski, cried out: "Look at my child - how he was and how he is today. You saw the video a month ago already. Does anyone here care? Is this interesting to you? Look at my son - dying, it's a holocaust. You've been sitting here for two years, sitting here doing nothing, nothing - torturing us, torturing them. Look how he's dying, look. A month has passed - does anyone care?"
He added, "This happened on your watch. You spend all day pointing fingers, but the only man doing anything is the Chief of Staff, who's trying to act. You should be ashamed. I don't believe in you - that's why I don't come here. But I had to today. Nothing is important! Except for them, except for them! Look how he looks - dying, to death, dying!"
Anat Angrest, mother of Matan Angrest, attacked: "This country betrays its army. We buried the 900th soldier this week. This continues with reservists being called for their third and fourth rounds to fight now in Gaza City, above my son's head. My son is under the tunnels in Gaza City. Nimrod and Matan are soldiers who survived hell and went out to fight for this country. My Matan is connected to car batteries. He's being interrogated there under torture. And you're talking here about draft-dodging laws instead of how to save them."
She noted, "We're leaving here for the Prime Minister's residence. We won't allow you fancy meals while our children have become skin and bones. A holocaust is happening, and the world is silent and the Knesset is silent, and you're silent but doing nothing. Make a comprehensive deal and bring our children home already - they're running out of time there. My Matan is severely wounded there. There are combat-shocked soldiers here, and there are mothers of fighters here. We're going to put an end to this. Today it ends."