Sharabi shares harrowing details of starvation, torture, and neglect during an emotional speech at a Manhattan synagogue; says he was beaten and starved while terrorists dine on humanitarian aid
Around 2,000 Jews and Israelis gathered at the synagogue to hear Sharabi and shake his hand. New York City Mayor Eric Adams also attended to congratulate him on his release. Longtime synagogue members remarked that the synagogue was so packed, that “not even a pin could fit inside.” They noted that it was the largest congregation since the synagogue’s founding in 1890.
Sharabi moved the audience deeply, bringing many to tears. “I will not rest or stay silent until I bring back all my brothers who remain captive in the tunnels. That’s why I went to the UN, why I flew just weeks after emerging from the tunnels. That’s why I met with President Trump in the Oval Office and why I met with the British Prime Minister right after. That’s why I’m here in front of you,” Sharabi told attendees.
The audience rose to their feet, applauding and chanting “Bring them home.” Many of those present cried, including the synagogue’s rabbi, Holocaust survivor Arthur Schneier, who was celebrating his 95th birthday that Saturday. Sharabi met with him and kissed him on the cheek, a moment described by witnesses as “breathtaking.”
Released hostage Eli Sharabi opens UNSC meeting
(UN WEB TV)
Three days earlier, Sharabi had delivered his speech to the UN Security Council, sharing with representatives of member states the harrowing experiences he endured while in captivity in Gaza. He spoke of starvation, torture, the aid money stolen by Hamas operatives, and the help that never came.
Describing the inhumane conditions of his captivity, Sharabi said: “They fed me a piece of pita bread a day and a cup of tea. The hunger consumed everything. They beat me. They broke my ribs. I didn’t care—I just wanted a piece of bread.” He also detailed how the terrorist organization denied him and his fellow captives access to food and water, while Hamas operatives consumed international aid sent to Gaza without restriction.
Sharabi recounted how, in the final moments before his release, a Hamas terrorist approached him and showed him a picture of his brother, Yossi, telling him he had been killed. “It felt like they had dropped a giant hammer on me. I refused to believe it,” Sharabi said. When he reached the handover point, he met a representative of the Red Cross for the first time in 491 days. “She told me, ‘Don’t worry, you’re safe now.’ Safe? Where was the Red Cross for 491 days?”
Sharabi directly addressed the representatives of the Security Council with a clear and powerful statement: “For 491 days, I starved, I was shackled, and I begged for my humanity. During all that time, no one came. No one in Gaza helped me.” He emphasized that Gaza’s residents witnessed the suffering of the hostages and did nothing.