Day 644 - Former hostage Keith Siegel on wanting to be hopeful
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 11 July 2025
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus.
This Friday, join former hostage Keith Siegel and host Jessica Steinberg for a deep dive into what life is like for Siegel, five months after his release home from captivity in Gaza.
Siegel discusses his need to do everything he can for the remaining hostages, including those with whom he was held hostage during periods of his 484 days of captivity, and who are still held captive.
He speaks about the depraved terror he experienced and witnessed in captivity, the moments of grace, and his hope and optimism that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House will possibly bring the war to an end.
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: Aviva and Keith Siegel, after Keith's release home from Hamas captivity on February 1, 2025 (Courtesy)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to today's Friday Focus. Today is Friday, July 11th. I'm your host, Jessica Steinberg, |
| 0:07.7 | with my guest, former hostage Keith Siegel. Hi, Keith. Good to have you here with me. |
| 0:13.6 | Hi, Jessica. Thank you for having me. Keith was born in the United States and moved to Israel more than 40 years |
| 0:19.3 | ago and was taken hostage from his home |
| 0:22.4 | in Kibbutz Kvahar Azah during the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack, along with his wife, Aviva Siegel. |
| 0:29.6 | While she was freed in November, 23, he was not released until very recently in February 2025 |
| 0:36.6 | during the last ceasefire and hostage release deal. |
| 0:41.3 | And now Keith Seagall has remained an extremely steady, dedicated voice in the struggle to |
| 0:46.5 | release the remaining 50 hostages, some of whom he knows very personally, both from captivity |
| 0:52.8 | and from his home in Kibbutzkvara-Aza. |
| 0:56.7 | So that is the intro that I'm giving to you, Keith, as we are in this very intensive week |
| 1:02.5 | with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington and this push for a hopeful final ceasefire. |
| 1:11.6 | Thank you, and I'm grateful for you inviting me to participate |
| 1:14.7 | and to have this opportunity to tell people |
| 1:20.0 | and to try to, as best as I can, express the urgency |
| 1:24.9 | for getting all of the 50 hostages back. |
| 1:28.8 | Yeah. |
| 1:29.4 | So, Keith, I've been following you, of course, for a very long time, |
| 1:33.8 | nearly, unbelievably, nearly two years at this point, |
| 1:37.0 | and I was really struck by something that was said. |
| 1:40.8 | You were in the Knesset earlier this week, |
| 1:43.3 | and we're recording this on Wednesday, |
... |
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