Hostage Survivor Omer Vankert Reflects on Life After Captivity
Translated & summarized from Channel 13 by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former hostage Omer Vankert described the emotional difficulty of the three-year anniversary of October 7.
- Vankert is rebuilding his life but struggles with the mental fatigue from his captivity.
- He is participating in the "Aviv Hadash" podcast to highlight the post-captivity lives of former hostages.
- The podcast aims to show the reality of rehabilitation and daily life for released hostages.
- Vankert recounted a near-death experience in a safe room on October 7.
As the three-year mark of October 7 approaches, former Hamas hostage Omer Vankert, who endured 505 days in captivity before his release in February 2025, shared his emotional struggles. "This week, you find yourself going from one memorial to another, and it hits you with a slap: 'What reality are we living in?'" Vankert stated in an interview with 'HaOlam HaBoker.' He described the date as a "very powerful milestone" that symbolizes "the hardest day of my life which led to the hardest period of my life." Despite the pain, Vankert emphasized the importance of continuity and remembering those who did not return. He is currently rebuilding his life, working in real estate, but finds the transition challenging. Previously a restaurant manager, he is now unable to sustain the intense work pace he was accustomed to, noting, "Today, I don't have the capacity to work more than 3-4 hours at 100%. My brain isn't used to such loads; it tires much faster, sometimes I'm mentally exhausted."
The "Aviv Hadash" podcast was initiated by Avital Aviv, who was moved to act after seeing posts from released hostages fundraising for their rehabilitation. "How is it logical that people who went through the hardest things are asking for help? Why isn't the state doing this?" she questioned. Aviv approached Vankert and his partner Adi, who immediately joined the project. "Everyone knows their stories, but they don't really know who they are today. That was the emphasis I wanted to put, what their routine looks like, what rehabilitation is like, and what life after is like. Nobody knows what they're going through inside," Aviv explained.
Vankert also recounted the harrowing memory of October 7, when terrorists set fire to the safe room where he was sheltering, confronting him with death. "You feel like it's the end, and there was a moment I truly felt it was over. I felt it was my last choice in life, and the choice was how to end it. You look death in the eyes and understand it's going to happen," he recalled. Vankert believes the "Aviv Hadash" project came at the right time, aiming to introduce the public to the current selves of former hostages and to foster a societal and political approach focused on recovery.
