Gabriela Leimberg, who was kidnapped to Gaza with four family members on Simchas Torah 5784 and later released, spoke Monday at the "Sukkah of Failure" protest tent in Tel Aviv and shared what Hamas terrorists told her while she was in captivity.
"It is very difficult for me to stand in front of an audience and cameras," she said. "But I came anyway to deliver an explicit warning straight from Gaza that I heard with my own ears. The cursed terrorists asked us that after we are released, we should travel to Argentina. Because they are planning another October 7 and it is not worth our while to stay in the kibbutz. That is what they are planning. They said this to my sister, I heard it with my own ears."
According to Leimberg, "Even three years later, no investigation has been conducted, so I ask you: how will we prevent the next massacre if we do not investigate and learn where the failures were? Instead, the leadership of the state is trying to rewrite history and sweep the terrible massacre under the rug as if it were nothing.
"The publications of recent weeks in the New York Times, the Atlantic, and last night also in the Wall Street Journal about the many warnings that were received give me no rest. The leadership of the State of Israel received every possible warning, from all over the world they called to wake Bibi, and he said: 'They are exaggerating the threats.'"
"How did he not convene everyone and pound on the table and say to increase readiness in all sectors? How did you not protect us? I ask the prime minister, you were supposed to be our protector and you abandoned us, and then you abandoned our friends also in captivity. I refuse to sit quietly, where were you? Why did you do nothing!
"Citizens of the state, I turn to you. If those responsible, from all levels, do not take responsibility, it will happen again and again, next time you could be on a trip with the family, at a party, at home. Do not abandon your family members, everyone who had a hand on the wheel on October 7 needs to go home.
"I call on you to go to the polls on 10/27 and carry in your hearts the massacre of 10/7. Whoever stood at the head of the state on that cursed day, whoever received all the warnings and chose to continue sleeping."
Michel Ilouz, father of Guy Ilouz z"l who was kidnapped from the Nova festival and murdered in captivity, said at the event: "Maybe enough with the lies? Maybe enough with this incitement of families against families, enough to read and hear the nonsense words of Likud candidate Bonzel today against Yocheved Lifshitz, a woman and an amazing family who paid such a heavy price, is it not enough??!! Is it not enough for you? How small can you be in order to try to serve your emperor Bibi Netanyahu. From all over the world they called to wake you, Bibi. You did nothing with it and I have no son because of you. You did not bring him back from captivity and 46 more living hostages even though you could.
"We can no longer speak only about a 'conception,' but about deliberate abandonment. You abandoned my son! I go up to a grave instead of meeting grandchildren I will never have! You abandoned thousands of murdered! Entire lives were cut short because you did not listen. From all over the world they called, and you abandon, arrogant, you said you think 'there is exaggeration' in the warnings.
"Dear people of Israel, look at reality in the eyes, at the facts, they abandoned us, they abandoned our security, our lives, and now they ask for our 'trust'? What trust can you have in someone who goes to sleep when he knows there is going to be a security earthquake here?
"I paid with my son, another 2,000 families paid the dearest price. No forgiveness, no pardon and also no trust, it is forbidden that anyone who was part of the government of malice should continue to be part of the leadership and part of the security of the citizens of all the people of Israel."
