Hamas Hostage Survivor Slams 'Collateral Damage' Film as Anti-Israel
Omer Shem-Tov, who was held captive by Hamas for 505 days after being abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, has penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal responding to the controversial documentary "Collateral Damage" (Nez'a). Shem-Tov stated that hostages like himself were also considered "collateral damage" by Hamas, and that if an Israeli bomb had killed him, Hamas would have "won twice." He argued that the film, which focuses on the deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, omits the Hamas atrocities of October 7th and the subsequent hostage crisis.
Shem-Tov recounted his experiences in captivity, describing fear of starvation, his captors, and the Israeli air force, as his captors would sometimes flee during expected strikes, leaving him behind. He highlighted an instance where the IDF contacted a Palestinian woman to warn her of an impending strike on her home, even though her son was one of his captors. This, he explained, demonstrated Israel's efforts to minimize civilian casualties, even at the risk of prolonging the captivity of hostages like himself.
He acknowledged the suffering of Palestinian civilians but emphasized that Israel took significant risks and employed measures such as dropping leaflets, sending messages, and ordering evacuations to reduce civilian harm. Shem-Tov noted that while the exact ratio of Palestinian civilian deaths to combatants is debated, estimates suggest a lower ratio than typical in urban warfare, attributing this to Israeli efforts. He expressed pain over the film's reception, particularly the lengthy applause it received at the Venice Film Festival, feeling it ignored the context of Hamas's actions and the plight of the hostages.
"The film shows the suffering in Gaza, but not what brought the war there," Shem-Tov wrote, adding that the film's creators seemed to have no moral dilemma regarding Hamas's actions. He concluded that Israel has the moral right to defend itself and prevent another October 7th, emphasizing the need for moral clarity in such actions.
