I had the amazing privilege of being asked to march at the front of the Israel Day parade in New York City on May 19 with some of the hostages who have been released from Gaza. The Jerusalem Prayer Team has been at the front of the fight for their return since October 7, 2023. Our videos on the plight of the hostages and interviews with their families have been viewed more than 50 million times. We have provided crucial financial support to help meet the needs of their struggling families.
I was able to spend some time with Keith Seigel and his family. When Keith and his wife Aviva were kidnapped and taken to Gaza, their children and grandchildren didn’t know if they would ever see them again. Aviva was released after a few weeks in captivity, but Keith remained a prisoner for 484 days in the hands of Hamas terrorists.
For more than a year, his family didn’t even know for sure whether he was alive or dead. He was finally released in February to great rejoicing. Keith told me to thank you and said to tell you that you saved his life. We recorded videos with Aviva in which she described the awful conditions she and her husband endured. The videos were seen by the world, which put enormous pressure on Hamas.
As I walked down 5th Avenue with Keith and other former hostages, I was giving thanks to God—not just that these precious people were freed, but that you have touched their lives in so many vital ways. But as thankful as I am for all that we have been able to do, there is so much more that needs to be done because the crisis is far from over.
The sad reality is that of those still being held hostage most of them are young people, and sadly, more than half are dead. But in one more act of cruelty, Hamas refuses to reveal exactly who the living are, which leaves the families to face even more uncertainty. They need help. And they are turning to us for that help because what you have done is known across the whole nation of Israel. So, thank you for being there for these precious people, showing them true Christian love in action in their hour of desperate need. God bless you for blessing His Chosen People in this vital way.
