Review of ‘Saving Abigail’ by Liz Hirsh Naftali

When Hamas attacked Israel in the early morning hours ofOctober 7, 2023, one of the hardest hit communities was Kibbutz Kfar Aza. NukhbaForce terrorists smashed through the border fence and launched a murderousrampage, going from house to house and killing, raping, and abducting civilians.Smadar and Roee Mor Idan were murdered in their home. Two of their children survivedthe attack by hiding inside a closet for 14 hours. Three-year-old Abigail wastaken hostage by Hamas.

Spoiler alert: Abigail, the youngest U.S. citizen held byHamas, was released in November, after 51 days of captivity in Gaza. Anotherspoiler alert: As of this writing, 97 hostages remain in Gaza, including thebodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.

Saving Abigail: The True Story of the Abduction andRescue of a Three-Year-Old Hostage by Liz Hirsh Naftali (Post HillPress, September 9, 2024) details the author’s efforts, alongside others, torescue Abigail and free the remaining hostages.

Hirsh Naftali, Abigail’s great aunt, happened to be in thecountry on that tragic October morning. The losses in her family hit hard, butshe quickly realized there was something she could do. “I could tell peoplewhat had happened. I could let people know what Hamas had done to my family inKfar Aza, and to the entire country,” she writes in the book.

With no prior knowledge or plan how to rescue a hostage fromcaptivity, she set out to share her niece’s face and story, to not only bringawareness of the hostages’ plight, but to encourage American politicians andworld leaders to increase diplomatic pressure on Hamas to release theirprisoners.

“Practically speaking, I had no idea how to move the entireAmerican federal government in the midst of an unprecedented geopoliticalmess,” she writes. But “America still cared about its people, and when itfocused its full powers towards a specific objective, it could make big thingshappen.”

Hirsh Naftali had an advantage over others who lost familymembers on October 7th. She had connections with leading Americanpoliticians, many of whom she seemingly had on speed dial. She began callingand meeting with congressional and world leaders, including President JoeBiden.

The extensive name dropping on the pages of the book can beoverwhelming, especially to those unfamiliar with American politics. However,with all her connections, Hirsh Naftali could not guarantee Abigail’s release.

“Freeing Abigail seemed an insanely ambitious goal most ofthe time,” Hirsh Naftali writes. “She was part of events far bigger than thekidnapping and captivity of one tiny three-year-old child.”

Abigail was among the group of hostages released back toIsrael during a temporary truce. The second half of the book details theauthor’s continued advocacy for the release of the other hostages. While theyremain captive in Gaza at this time, it is important to know that there arethose who fight for their release every day, and this book’s author is one ofthem.

Liz Hirsh Naftali is an investor,philanthropist, and the host and creator of The Capitol CoffeeConnection podcast. She is the mother of five children and has livedbetween Israel and the US since 1992.

Originally posted on The Times of Israel.