Hostage Survivor Shares Ordeal at President's Residence for First Time

For the first time, the President's Residence in Jerusalem hosted a "Salon Otef" (Surrounding Salon) event, featuring Omri Miran, who was held captive by Hamas for 738 days, and his wife, Lishi Lavi Miran. The event is part of a national initiative by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL) to share the testimonies of survivors of the October 7th attacks through intimate gatherings across the country.

Miran and his wife recounted the harrowing experience of his prolonged captivity in Gaza, the uncertainty faced by their family in Israel, and the ongoing complex physical and emotional challenges that former hostages and their families endure even after their return and rehabilitation. The event at the President's Residence was opened with remarks from the President of Israel and the Chairman of KKL, and was moderated by journalist and director Ben Shani.

The "Salon Otef" initiative operates through community and home-based meetings where citizens can hear firsthand accounts from survivors of the massacre, evacuees, and families of hostages. Hundreds of similar gatherings are scheduled to take place in communities and private homes throughout Israel in the coming days, with tens of thousands of Israelis expected to participate and hear these personal stories.