The father of one of the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza has expressed outrage at plans by left-wing groups to disrupt a conference set to take place in Jerusalem on Wednesday in support of the government’s approach to the war against the terror group.
Titled, “The Heroism and Victory Conference,” the event is expected to attract thousands of participants, including politicians, journalists, bereaved families and other hostages’ families. Among the high-profile speakers expected at the conference are Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Knesset members Simcha Rothman and Ohad Tal.
The conference was organized by the Tkuma (“Arising”) forum of hostages’ families, which unlike several other groups representing the families opposes making a deal with Hamas to secure the captives’ return.
As a result, the conference has drawn severe criticism from left-wing organizations. The Machazkim – Fighting for a Progressive Israel NGO has urged protesters via social media to “blow up the ‘victory’ scam of the disaster government,” while Peace Now has referred to those participating in the event as “detached messianists.”
“Are bereaved families and hostage families sacred? It depends on their political orientation,” tweeted Tzvika Mor, the father of hostage Eitan Mor and a scheduled speaker at the conference.
Conference organizer Berele Krombi also condemned planes to disrupt the event, saying, “How far has the left, which was once Zionist, fallen? The left, which is supposedly sensitive to bereaved and hostage families, is calling in its groups to disrupt the conference!”
Tzvika and his wife, Ditza, are founding members of the Tkuma forum, and insist that the only way to free the hostages is by defeating Hamas and eradicating its regime in Gaza.
At a meeting of the Knesset Law, Justice and Constitution Committee in November, Tzvika Mor urged the attorney-general and state attorney to ease restrictions on the Israel Defense Forces that he argued were hampering its efforts to defeat Hamas and secure the hostages’ return.
““As a father of a hostage and as a reservist fighter in the IDF … I demand the legal system let the IDF achieve decisive victory and free the hostages,” he said.
“Look us in the eyes,” he continued, pointing to IDF service members present in the room. “We are fighting so we can hold this discussion. We must be allowed to fight until the end. And we believe that fighting until the end will force Hamas to bring us back our hostages.”
Before he was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, Eitan Mor, 23, saved hundreds of people at the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im in the western Negev, where he was working as a security guard when the terror invasion began.