Hostage Families Demand PM Stop Using "We Brought Everyone Back" Slogan

Esther Buchstab, mother of Yagav, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Am on October 7th and murdered in Hamas captivity, has joined other families of hostages who were killed or murdered in captivity. They have signed a letter and launched an outdoor campaign directed at Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Likud party, demanding they cease using the phrase "We brought everyone back" in their election campaign. Buchstab stated that the slogan is "like a knife in the heart, again and again, into a scar that will never heal." She expressed deep disappointment, noting that her son and others were not returned alive and that the government has not provided explanations for the decisions made regarding hostage negotiations or the bombing of tunnel routes where hostages were held.

Buchstab recounted an incident where an associate of the Prime Minister told her, "We know who you are and where you come from," implying their political leanings and kibbutz origin, which she interpreted as a dismissive remark. She felt this indicated that the government viewed them differently due to their political activism, particularly their opposition to the judicial reform. The families argue that the slogan erases the "terrible difference" between those who returned alive and those who did not, attempting to turn their loved ones' deaths into a "political success story." They are demanding that if "even a drop of humanity" remains, the politicians should stop using their loved ones for election propaganda.

The letter, signed by families including those of Marciano, Shimrizi, Peri, and others whose loved ones were kidnapped and murdered, emphasizes that the bodies of their relatives returned in coffins and that no election campaign can erase this fact. They are calling for a state commission of inquiry to uncover the truth about the events of October 7th and the subsequent handling of the hostage situation. The families feel the government has failed to take responsibility, instead attempting to cover up the failures and rewrite history. Buchstab, who has become a prominent advocate, stated that while she is not vengeful, she expected accountability and explanations from the state, not just the military, regarding the decisions that led to the deaths of hostages.