A ceremony honoring the families of the "Hagvura" (Heroism) and "Hope" forums took place today (Monday) at the Knesset, organized by MK Ohad Tal. The event was attended by ministers and members of Knesset and centered on calls from bereaved families and families of hostages to maintain military pressure on Hamas.
At the heart of the event was a speech by Talik Gvili, mother of special forces officer Ran Gvili, who was kidnapped to Gaza. Speaking through tears, she told the attendants, “We are proud parents of Ran, who is truly a hero of Israel. Ran eliminated 14 terrorists, maybe more, and physically protected Kibbutz Alumim. Hamas may be deceiving us, but there’s no chance they don’t know where he is. He wasn’t thrown into some pit."
She urged decision-makers not to ease pressure on the enemy: “I call on you, do not stop. Do not let them advance without returning Ran. We must do everything possible. Nothing moves forward; the monsters cannot be allowed to grow, and Gaza cannot be rebuilt until Ran comes back."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich supported her plea: “I call on the Prime Minister, under no circumstances do not open the Rafah crossing or move forward even a bit until Ran returns. It is our duty. Hamas must return Ran to the people of Israel."
Knesset Speaker MK Amir Ohana praised the families, saying, “This ceremony is about lifting the spirit of the people. Instead of being carried on a stretcher, you bore it yourselves. You turned your personal pain into national hope. Some lift the people’s spirit with medals and victories; you lift it while soaked in blood, and that greatness cannot be measured."
Event organizer MK Ohad Tal added, “We must all live with the awareness that life condenses into moments of ultimate testing. Each of you faced that test-you are the Abraham and Isaac of our generation. History is not written only by generals; it is written by ordinary people making extraordinary decisions. You are not guests here-you are shareholders in spirit and victory."
The audience gave a prolonged standing ovation when former hostage survivor Eitan Mor entered the hall.
Other participants included Ministers Orit Strock, Miki Zohar, and Ofir Sofer, as well as MKs Yuli Edelstein, Amit Levi, Ariel Kalner, Eli Dallal, Moshe Solomon, Tally Gotliv, and Michal Waldiger.
Opposition representatives were absent, drawing sharp criticism from Yehoshua Shani, father of Lt. Col. Uri Shani z"l: “It is a disgrace that not a single opposition member came. Our sons fell defending all of Israel, not only the coalition."