"There is nothing to celebrate when the hostages are still in Gaza"lament their families in Israel, on the day of Jewish Passover
Cairo: Hani Kamal El-Din
In Israel, Monday April 22 marks the start of the holiday of Pessah, the Jewish Passover, which celebrates the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. Normally, this period is synonymous with celebration, joy and great family reunions in the country. But after the Hamas attack on October 7, the heart is not really in it, 129 hostages are officially still being held in Gaza, including 34 presumed dead. Their families have appealed to Israelis to leave an empty chair Monday evening during the traditional Seder meal so as not to forget them.
A big family reunion, that’s what Passover celebrations normally look like at the Cohen family in Tel Aviv. Yotam, the eldest son, scrolls through the photos on his phone. “It’s the whole family two years ago, he describes. Me, Nimrod, my sister, my parents. We had put on our party outfits, we were having fun. We won’t be taking this photo this year unfortunately.”
This year, no celebration, his little brother Nimrod, 19, is still hostage in Gaza. “Passover is a day that symbolizes freedom. How could I celebrate freedom when my brother is still held back ?, he adds. It’s absurd.”
Sharone Lifschitz, she does not know if her father Oded, aged 83, is still alive but she decided to join the members of her kibbutz of Nir Oz for a big dinner Monday evening all together, an increasingly difficult ordeal. reality. “It’s so upsetting, because in the moments when we all find ourselves together, their absence is glaring, he confides. We’ve lost so many people and many won’t come because it’s too hard to bear.”
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