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Freed Israeli hostage says he was treated ‘better' after Trump win

Freed Israeli hostage says he was treated ‘better' after Trump win

The Hill29-05-2025
An Israeli hostage feed after being held by Hamas said his captors improved his treatment after President Trump's return to the Oval Office was confirmed in November.
Omer Shem Tov was held in captivity for more than 100 days and told CNN he was being intentionally starved while in confinement.
Shem Tov said after Trump won, he received more food and that his captors 'treated me better, stopped cursing me, stopped spitting on me.'
He told CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga that Hamas terrorists were afraid of a second term from Trump and were rooting for Vice President Harris to win her bid for the White House.
'They wanted Kamala to be elected; but as soon as Donald Trump was elected, they understood that he wants to bring the hostages back home. So, immediately the way they treated me changed,' Shem Tov said.
'So if it's the amount of food — I can say this, that when Trump became president, the way they treated us changed — for me, personally. This is what I felt,' he added.
While imprisoned, Shem Tov said he saw a tunnel filled with food, confirming he was intentionally being starved. By the time he was released, he'd lost more than 50 pounds.
'One time I did ask one terrorist about it, and he told me because of the army, there is no food. But I used to see them eat. I knew they weren't skinny as me, you know,' Shem Tov told CNN.
'One time I remember I asked to go to the restroom, to the bathroom, and they took me out. I used to go every three days to the bathroom. And I remember me walking by another room in the tunnel and seeing a big amount of food, cheese and bread, huge amounts. So I was being starved. There is no question about it,' he continued.
Shem Tov noted that during his time imprisoned, his 'faith in God became very strong.'
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