Yechiel Yehud, the father of Arbel Yehud, who was released from captivity about a week and a half ago along with Gadi Mozes and Agam Berger, read a message from his daughter in a meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday.

“I learned Arabic within a month and I heard my captors express joy over the friction among Israelis regarding the question of releasing the hostages,” Yehud stated.

“I thought they were using psychological terror on me when they said the issue of the hostages had become a political debate. I didn’t believe it until I returned to the country and was exposed to this harsh reality.”

“I was held for 482 days without seeing or hearing a single Israeli – from the time I was separated from my partner Ariel [Cunio] three hours after I was abducted – until I met Gadi [on the day of her release.] You can imagine some of the horrors I went through during my captivity, as you all saw on the day of my release.”

“Despite this, I returned focused on the goal of saving Ariel, his brother David, and all the hostages along with the long rehabilitation process awaiting me. Already on the evening of my release at Sheba, I told my father: ‘Abba, don’t give up. I need Ariel back in order to recover.’ And my father answered me: ‘I didn’t think otherwise.'”

“And I demand from you [Knesset members], like my father – don’t think otherwise. Bring everyone back in one go – the living and the dead, and don’t scare the people with the question of price. Sccare yourselves and maybe that will force you to better protect the country’s citizens in the future.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)