Bereaved Father's Outburst at Hamas Hostage Survivor Sparks Outrage

A sharp confrontation erupted between Itzik Bonzel, the father of fallen IDF soldier Amit Bonzel, and released hostage Yocheved Lifshitz, following Lifshitz's critical remarks about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview. Lifshitz stated that Netanyahu had not secured any hostage releases, suggesting that casino magnate Miriam Adelson had purchased them from former President Donald Trump. Bonzel, who is slated for a reserved spot on the Likud party list, vehemently attacked Lifshitz's comments.

In a Facebook post, Bonzel accused Lifshitz of ingratitude, asserting that "hundreds of heroes who went into the inferno to bring you back alive, and some never returned," were responsible for her rescue from Hamas tunnels, not Adelson. He further accused her of disrespecting the soldiers who died in the war. In a particularly harsh statement, Bonzel expressed a wish that the clock could be turned back to "return you to Hamas."

Bonzel, whose son Amit was killed in Gaza in December 2023, argued that Lifshitz's criticism of Netanyahu led her to dishonor the soldiers who sacrificed their lives. This is not the first time Bonzel has publicly clashed with former hostages or their families over war issues and hostage negotiations; he previously made strong statements following remarks by released hostages Eli Albag and Idan Alexander.

Bonzel's comments generated significant backlash, including sharp condemnations from Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the "Yisrael" party, and Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats. Following the controversy, the bereaved father issued an apology, stating, "In a storm of emotions, I wrote a sentence about Yocheved Lifshitz in the context of Hamas that I did not intend, and I wish to apologize for it."