Noa Argami on Not Looking Away
Noa Argamani attends the 2025 TIME100 Gala in New York City on April 24, 2025. Credit - Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images for TIME
Noa Argamani opened up about what it was like to be held hostage by Hamas for 245 days when she walked the red carpet at the gala celebrating TIME's 2025 list of the world's most influential people on April 24 in New York City.
Argamani attended the Nova Music Festival where Hamas launched the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that led to the Israel-Hamas war. She recently found it hard to attend the Nova Exhibition, a traveling exhibit on the festival and the conflict. As she put it, 'It was too much to handle. Too much to carry.' But it was a must-see, she said.
Argamani was separated from her partner Avinatan Or and said that while in captivity, she was constantly trying to find out where he was. At a certain point, she was afraid to know the answer. 'I never saw him in captivity. I asked about him everywhere I went, but they didn't tell me nothing. I didn't know if he's alive … I didn't want to know the answer because it was too much for me,' she said.
'But until my partner, Avinatan Or, will come back, and all those 59 hostages will come back, I will not heal. I will push forward, and I will fight as much as I can so that everybody will come back home.'
Later at the gala afterparty, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, described Argamani as 'one of the most inspiring people I've ever met,' citing 'her extraordinary strength and her amazing resolve, not just despite what she's been through but what she's still going through.'
In a tribute to Argamani for the 2025 TIME100, Doug Emhoff, former Second Gentleman of the United States, wrote, 'her bravery has embodied Jewish resilience and strength even in the worst moments.'
Argamani was among a select group of honorees to make a short speech during the gala. She urged the star-studded attendees to use their voices and influence to keep attention on those who remain in captivity: 'Help make sure that the world will not look away.'
—Solcyré Burga contributed reporting.
———
The TIME100 Gala is TIME's annual celebration of the TIME100 list of the world's most influential people. The Gala brings together icons, leaders, change-makers, and celebrities from across industries and nations for one lively evening of meaningful dialogue and celebration.
TIME is teaming up with ABC to bring viewers inside the exclusive TIME100 Gala with a special television event. TIME100: The World's Most Influential People, produced in partnership with P&G, airs Sunday, May 4 at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC, and the next day on Hulu, featuring host Snoop Dogg, a performance by Ed Sheeran, and appearances by Demi Moore, Serena Williams, and more.
The 2025 TIME100 Gala was presented by Booking.com, Circle, Diriyah Company, Prudential Financial, Toyota, Amazon, Absolut, Pfizer, and XPRIZE.
Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com.
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