Photo by
Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL on 8 February, 2025
‘Very Important Testimony’: First Israeli Hostage Memoir to Be Released Worldwide
Jerusalem, 10 July, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday met with Eli Sharabi, a survivor of Hamas captivity, ahead of the U.S. publication of Sharabi’s harrowing memoir Kidnapped, marking the first global release of a book written by an Israeli hostage.
Sharabi, who was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri during Hamas’s October 7 massacre and held in Gaza for 491 days, presented Herzog with a copy of the book at the President’s Residence. The English edition, to be published by HarperCollins on the second anniversary of the attack, offers rare first-person testimony of the trauma endured by hostages and the families they were taken from.
“This is a very important testimony that will be preserved for years to come, for future generations,” said Sharabi. “I hope this book… will be part of the outreach that the State of Israel should do. In this world of propaganda, we sometimes lose, unfortunately.”
Released in June in Hebrew, Kidnapped shattered Israeli records by selling 20,000 copies in just five days.
Sharabi’s wife, Lianne, and daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were murdered in the Hamas assault, as was his brother Yossi, whose body remains in captivity. Sharabi was eventually released in February 2025 during a temporary ceasefire. The image of an emaciated Sharabi being paraded across a stage before his release shocked Israelis.
During his time in captivity, Sharabi was held with fellow hostages Alon Ohel, Eliya Cohen, and Or Levy. They taught Cohen English using the only book they had, a novel by American-Israeli fantasy writer Leigh Bardugo.
President Herzog praised Sharabi for both his courage and his contribution to the national narrative. “Eli, who went through the worst hell of all—physically and emotionally—now tells his story in a way that is moving and heartbreaking,” Herzog said. “You are serving a vital national narrative here. This is an authentic story… You are the one who went through hell. There is absolutely no ability to deal with you because you are telling the truth.”
The book was translated into English after HarperCollins acquired U.S. rights from the Blair Partnership, the British literary agency that represents Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.
During the meeting, both Herzog and Sharabi appealed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump to intensify efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
“This is absolutely the moment—we are expecting, waiting,” Sharabi said. “The families of those kidnapped need this moment that will close the event for them… whether it is the living or the fallen for burial.”
Israeli authors and publishers have produced an unprecedented literary response to the October 7 Hamas attack and subsequent war, with nearly 1,000 books addressing the conflict published in 2024, according to the National Library of Israel’s annual report released on June 9 during Hebrew Book Week.
“The trauma of the terror attack, the issue of the hostages, and the impact of the longest war that Israel has experienced have all influenced every aspect of life in Israel,” the report said. “This state of affairs is expected to continue to yield books in all genres into 2025.”
At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 50 remaining hostages, around 30 are believed to be dead.
