Survivor of Hamas captivity, Keith Siegel, recounted in a Thursday interview with Channel 12, new details from his time in captivity with abducted soldier Matan Angrest and revealed that among other things, the terrorists tried to convince the hostages to convert to Islam.
„There were attempts to convert us. According to them, whoever isn’t a Muslim goes to hell and only Muslims go to heaven. Matan spoke a lot about the longing and how he wants to be with his family more when he returns from captivity and less on the PlayStation,“ Siegel said.
He added, „I think they tried to get information out of Matan about his job. Matan felt threatened in this situation where they’re interrogating him, and he did everything not to reveal classified information. He told me about very difficult things he went through. I saw violence against Matan, physical and verbal violence.
„Matan and I really starved. It’s not just some figure of speech. There were times that we really felt, both physically and mentally, that there’s a chance that we won’t get out of there alive at all, because of the different threats that there were – one was the lack of food and the daily starvation for a long time. It caused dizziness, lightheadedness, and weakness, and I’m sure he’s experiencing that until now,“ he concluded.
Last week, Matan’s mother, Anat, spoke with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News after participating in a session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
„I came especially to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to speak about the abducted soldiers who were neglected in all the deals up until now,“ Angrest states. „We are not ready to sit quietly. Even though they told us not to publicize the soldier issue, we are now putting the soldiers up front.“
Anat says that it is not just about her son but about sending a message to every soldier on the battlefield. „You send soldiers to battle, they need to know that if G-d forbid they’ll be abducted or they’ll be in Matan’s position, the State of Israel would take care of them and won’t leave them behind.“
Regarding the decision to publish the footage of Matan’s abduction and of him in captivity, she says: „It’s part of the process we went through. We understood that if we continued sitting in silence, it would be easy for the State of Israel to leave our sons behind. For this silence, my Matan is paying a much higher price. It’s against our character and our behavior, but they don’t leave us any other choice.“
She emphasizes the feelings of helplessness and pain from the lengthy uncertainty: „The fact is that Matan is still there, injured. I received an indication that the State of Israel is committed to him – yes, I see a commitment to soldiers with foreign citizenship, but the Israeli government did not include soldiers in any deal.“
Angrest recounts the moment she first saw the footage of her son. „I tried not to be exposed to the difficult documentation; there’s more, but I tried to protect myself. As much as I try to remain hopeful that Matan survived and is coming home soon, it brings me back to thinking about how he was abducted and what he’s going through there.“
She describes her meeting with the captive IDF observers who met Matan in captivity. „The observers had a few run-ins with Matan there. They know exactly what he’s going through.“
The hostage’s mother notes that she feels the Prime Minister is not involved enough. „During the meeting with Netanyahu, I got the feeling that he is not aware of Matan’s condition. I left so frustrated. I said that I left with a feeling that there is a lack of commitment to Matan.
„I am almost sure that there’s a deal on the table, and the Prime Minister, for one reason or another, is not taking it. We know that for a year and a half already, there could have been deals to bring them all back, but they aren’t happening because the Prime Minister was not prepared to announce the end of the war. When there is a deal, I will not let it exclude soldiers and the deceased.“
Asked if she believes a deal should be made even if it ends the war, she states: „Ending the war is not a price, it’s an achievement. Returning the hostages is the immediate goal, its life and death. That’s what needs to be done, and that’s what needed to happen a long time ago.“
Ahead of the meeting between the Prime Minister and US President Trump, she is holding on to some hope: „The US understands that this needs to end.“
She admits that she has tough feelings going into the Passover holiday. „We aren’t going into any holiday – there’s no such word ‚celebration‘ for us. We will be at Hostages Square with other supportive citizens who are also unable to celebrate a holiday.“
