‘Let My People Go’: Kibbutz Nir Oz Holds Passover Seder to Demand Freedom for Hostages

KIBBUTZ NIR OZ, Israel — Passover celebrates the freedom of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. But this Passover, scores of Israelis are still hostages in Gaza — with some reportedly being sold by Hamas or forced to work as slaves.

Relatives and neighbors of the 36 hostages from Kibbutz Nir Oz gathered Thursday in their community’s dining hall to stage a Passover meal — a seder — at a table with empty chairs, each featuring a poster of one of the abductees.

The goal: to make sure that Israelis, and the world, do not forget the 133 remaining hostages, and keep the pressure on for their release.

“Let my family go,” said Ofri Bibas-Levy, the sister of Yarden Bibas, who is a hostage in Gaza, along with his wife Shiri and his children Ariel (4) and Kfir (1).

“Let my people go.”

Joel B. Pollak / Breitbart News

That refrain, familiar from the story of the Exodus, is particularly poignant this year. As the residents of Nir Oz staged their Passover seder, negotiators continued meeting in Cairo, Egypt, in an attempt to reach a deal for the release of at least some of the hostages.

It is feared that many of the hostages have died in custody already, thanks to mistreatment by Hamas and exposure to the dangers of war.

There was a range of political views among the speakers at the seder.

Liat Atzili Beinin, a dual American-Israeli citizen, was scathing in her criticism of the Israeli government, as she urged it to compromise and reach a hostage deal.

In contrast, Noam Peri, the daughter of elderly hostage Chaim Peri, appeared to criticize U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent demand for an “immediate ceasefire” by Israel. “Do not talk about ceasefire when our people are still held in tunnels,”  she said.

Outside, the devastated wreckage of the kibbutz remained much as it had been since Breitbart News visited in November.

Joel B. Pollak / Breitbart News

Breitbart News also visited nearby Kibbutz Be’eri, where a few of the 1,200 residents — 100 of whom were murdered on October 7 — have returned to their homes, though the wreckage from October’s battles still remains.

The sound of artillery fire nearby was audible, as Israeli troops engaged Hamas terrorists in targeted operations in northern and central Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has shifted from a large-scale invasion to targeted raids against Hamas.

Israel and the U.S. disagree about whether the IDF should attack the last four Hamas battalions in the city of Rafah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised Israel will attack and defeat Hamas there.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, “The Zionist Conspiracy (and how to join it),” now available on Audible. He is also the author of the e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.