Israeli Hostage Survivors Play Special Exhibition Game at Maccabiah 2026 to Thank Jewish Diaspora

A special exhibition basketball game took place on Wednesday as part of the Maccabiah 2026 events, organized by the Jewish Agency and the Lehoshit Yad association. The game featured Israeli hostage survivors, Israeli basketball legends, and representatives from Jewish communities worldwide and the Jewish Agency. The event aimed to express gratitude to the Jewish diaspora for their support of the survivors and their families, while emphasizing that the long rehabilitation journey has only just begun.

Participants included survivors David Konyo, Ariel Konyo, Bar Kuperstein, Elkana Bohbot, Elia Cohen, Or Levi, and Eitan Horn, alongside Israeli basketball veterans such as Meir Tapiro, Afik Nissim, and Papi Turgeman. Jewish Agency CEO Yehuda Stone, North American delegation head Gal Atiya, and new immigrants who arrived after the October 7 attacks also took part. Maccabiah Chairman Asaf Goren and CEO Roy Hasing joined to reinforce the message that sports unite Jews worldwide, even in difficult times.

Yehuda Stone highlighted sport's unique power to connect people and inspire hope, calling the Maccabiah "the most beautiful expression of Jewish unity worldwide." He described the game as both a tribute to the diaspora's support for the families of the captives and a commitment to continue standing together during rehabilitation. Former Israeli footballer Abraham Atar added that the diaspora's embrace gave survivors and families strength and hope during the hardest moments, stressing that liberation is only the start of a long recovery process.

Hostage survivor Eitan Horn, also a Lehoshit Yad representative and former Jewish Agency emissary in Peru, addressed the crowd, thanking the Jewish diaspora for their extraordinary efforts during the two years of captivity. He emphasized that while the survivors have been freed, their rehabilitation journey remains long and challenging. "I love you all," Horn concluded, underscoring the ongoing need for support.