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Fraud Alert? Eitan Mor's Mom Disavows Crowdfunding: 'It Was Done Without Our Knowledge'
Mother of released Hamas hostage Eitan Mor warns public about unauthorized fundraising campaigns, emphasizing comprehensive state support for rehabilitation needs.
The mother of recently released hostage Eitan Mor has issued a strong public statement disavowing a series of crowdfunding campaigns launched in his name, warning the public that the fundraising initiatives were started "without our knowledge."
Efrat Mor, Eitan Mor’s mother, released the clarification today, insisting the family does not approve of or endorse the calls for donations aimed at funding her son’s rehabilitation after two years in Hamas captivity.
"I Do Not Authorize Such a Thing"
The statement follows the discharge of Eitan Mor, along with two other former hostages, from Rabin Medical Center, marking the start of their extensive outpatient rehabilitation.
Efrat Mor explicitly addressed the campaigns in an interview with Merav Svar of Israel Hayom:
"Crowdfunding initiatives for Eitan's rehabilitation have been published. It is important for me to emphasize that this is not with our knowledge."
She elaborated on her personal reluctance:
"I don't connect with donation campaigns. I feel ashamed to ask, and it doesn't feel appropriate at all. I feel that we are being enveloped [with support]. If Eitan feels the need later on, that will be his own decision. As his mother, I do not authorize such a thing."
Extensive Government Support Cited
Mor explained that the family's opposition is rooted in the belief that Eitan's needs are already being met through comprehensive state support.
"They are completely covered here," she said, acknowledging that while the full recovery will be a long process, the released hostages are receiving significant aid.
"A representative from the National Insurance Institute sat with us and laid out all of Eitan's rights, and I thought to myself, 'Crowdfunding? Why?'" she recounted. She noted that the released hostages receive a "wide and comprehensive envelope [of support] for life" from the National Insurance Institute.
Mor stressed that she was only speaking for her family's situation, recognizing that others might be in different circumstances. She also pointed out that the community's immense support had already been channeled into a cause dear to Eitan:
"We established a synagogue in his merit, and the people of Israel rallied there en masse. Eitan himself donated to the synagogue before he was kidnapped."