Latest news with #ShemTov
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Freed Israeli hostage says he was treated ‘better' after Trump win
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 militants were afraid of a second term from Trump and were rooting for former Vice President Kamala 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.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Freed Israeli hostage says he was treated ‘better' after Trump win
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.'
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Freed Israeli hostage says Hamas treated him better after Trump was elected — and that terror group wanted Harris to win
A freed Israeli hostage revealed his Hamas tormentors 'immediately' treated him better when President Trump was elected — and claimed the group of terrorists wanted Kamala Harris to win the 2024 election. Omer Shem Tov, 22, provided insight into Hamas' political calculations as he detailed the hellish conditions he endured for more than 500 days after he was kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. 'As soon as Donald Trump was elected, they understood that he wants to bring the hostages back home,' he told CNN in a new interview published Wednesday. 'So immediately the way they treated me changed … when Trump became president the way they treated us changed for me personally.' 3 Omer Shem Tov's Hamas captors provided him with more food while they stopped cursing at and spitting on him after President Trump defeated Kamala Harris, he said. CNN His captors provided him with more food while they stopped cursing at and spitting on him, Shem Tov told CNN's Bianna Golodryga. He credited Trump for getting the hostages released as part of a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas earlier this year. 'Before we felt like nothing is happening, and I remember ever since he came into the role, they were very scared of him,' Shem Tov said of Trump. 'They wanted Kamala to be chosen,' he said of the former vice president, citing talks he had with his captors. Shem Tov was released with five others on Feb. 22, more than a year after he was taken to Gaza when Hamas stormed the Nova music festival. 3 Freed hostages, including 22-year-old Omer Shem Tov, met with President Trump in March. Instagram / @ He said during the CNN interview that he dropped 50 pounds, relying on biscuits and salty water to survive. 'I was being starved,' he said. 'There's no question about it.' Shem Tov said Hamas captors told him 'we're gonna shoot you' if they heard Israeli forces nearby, but his biggest fear was dying from Israel's military campaign in the Palestinian enclave. 3 Shem Tov looks on from a van as he arrives at a hospital in Petah Tikva, Israel. AP 'I believe every soldier is a hero, I really do believe it, and I think the army, they're doing an amazing job, but for us, it's the scariest moments, it's the bombing, you feel like your life can be taken in every moment,' he said. Shem Tov has spent his time since his release advocating for the release of the other hostages still languishing in captivity. He and other former hostages met with Trump in March.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hamas wanted Kamala Harris to be president, says freed Israeli hostage
Hamas wanted Kamala Harris to be president, a freed Israeli hostage has claimed. Omer Shem Tov, has said his captors had hoped the Democrat would win the election and credits Donald Trump for helping to secure his freedom. 'As soon as Donald Trump was elected, they understood that he wants to bring the hostages back home,' Mr Shem Tov told CNN. The Israeli national was released in February as part of a short-lived ceasefire after spending 505 days held captive following Hamas's Oct 7 attacks. Mr Shem Tov was abducted along with 43 other people on October 7 2023 as he danced with his friends at the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel. He spent much of his time in captivity in isolation in a tunnel beneath the Gaza strip, where he was starved. During his time in captivity, Mr Shem Tov said that he frequently spoke about politics with his Hamas jailers and that his treatment significantly improved after Mr Trump's election win. Hamas 'stopped cursing me, stopped spitting on me,' he told CNN. While held hostage, the Israeli man lost more than 50lb, after his daily food rations were reduced from two pittas and some cheese to a single biscuit. 'Starvation, it's an awful thing,' Mr Shem Tov previously told ABC. 'Seeing my bones, my shoulder bones, my rib cage, I can feel it. Eating a biscuit a day, calculating how to eat it throughout the day. 'Not a lot of people can imagine what true darkness is. If you're in a dark room you move your hand, you see shadows moving. I did not see those shadows. There were times I thought I went blind.' After Mr Trump's election victory, Mr Shem Tov said he started receiving more food again, enabling him to survive. Following his Feb 22 release, Mr Shem Tov and another hostage, Keith Siegel, met with Mr Trump and praised the president for bringing about their freedom. 'I am home because of his efforts,' Mr Siegel told CNN, before urging Mr Trump to free the remaining hostages. 'I believe that he wants to do this and it's important to him. He has told us that. I ask him to do whatever he can and to do it as soon as possible to get an agreement secured and to get them all back,' he added. On Wednesday, the US denied agreeing terms to a ceasefire deal despite claims by Hamas. Hamas released a statement saying that it had reached an agreement with US special envoy Steve Witkoff for a 'permanent ceasefire' in exchange for the release of 10 living Israeli hostages. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
14th century Shem Tov Bible comes home to Jerusalem
The Shem Tov Bible, a stunning 14th-century manuscript created by the renowned kabbalist Rabbi Shem Tov ben Abraham Ibn Gaon, will be displayed in the National Library of Israel. The National Library of Israel proudly announced this month the arrival and public display ofthe Shem Tov Bible, a stunning 14th-century manuscript created by the renowned kabbalist Rabbi Shem Tov ben Abraham Ibn Gaon. This extraordinary codex—both a work of biblical scholarship and an artistic masterpiece—is now exhibited as part of the Library's permanent collection. Created in 1312 in Spain, the Shem Tov Bible reflects the rich spiritual and intellectual life of Sephardic Jewry during the medieval period. Combining deep kabbalistic insight, meticulous Masoretic tradition, and exquisite illumination, the manuscript offers a unique window into Jewish mysticism and textual transmission. Rabbi Shem Tov himself embarked on a journey to the Land of Israel shortly after completing the manuscript, settling there by 1315 and continuing his scholarly work until his death around 1330. Over the centuries, the Bible traveled throughout the Middle East and North Africa, where it gained a reputation for mystical powers, especially among women seeking a safe childbirth. In the modern era, the manuscript passed through notable private collections, including that of David Solomon Sassoon in the early 20th century, and later European collectors. In 2024, the Bible was auctioned at Sotheby's and purchased by Terri and Andrew Herenstein, who generously loaned it to the National Library for long-term public display. Sallai Meridor, Chairman of the National Library of Israel, emphasized the profound symbolism of the Bible's return to Jerusalem, especially coinciding with Shavuot, the festival commemorating the giving of the Torah. 'Having journeyed from Spain to Jerusalem, Baghdad, Tripoli, London, and Geneva, the Shem Tov Bible has come full circle and is now back home in the land where Rabbi Shem Tov lived and intended for it to be,' Meridor said. He also expressed deep gratitude to the Herenstein family for making this historic loan possible. Dr. Chaim Neria, curator of the Haim and Hanna Solomon Judaica Collection at the Library, highlighted the Bible's scholarly importance. 'This manuscript represents the pinnacle of biblical and kabbalistic scholarship from the medieval period,' he said. He noted its detailed adherence to the Sefer Tagei, a traditional guide for sacred scribal practices, and its unique references to now-lost earlier texts such as the Hilleli Codex from 600 CE. Beyond its textual significance, the Shem Tov Bible is celebrated for its artistic beauty. Its richly decorated pages feature gothic arches, arcades, birds, beasts, and gilded frames surrounding the biblical verses, inspired by the artistic languages of both Islamic and Christian traditions of the time, yet adapted to Jewish ritual aesthetics. The Shem Tov Bible was unveiled to the public on May 8, 2025, as part of the National Library's 'A Treasury of Words' exhibition in the William Davidson Permanent Exhibition Gallery. The Herenstein family also announced plans to digitize the manuscript to enable worldwide access for scholars and enthusiasts alike. 'The Shem Tov Bible stands as a unique cultural artifact,' the family said. 'We are delighted that it will be preserved, studied, and admired by future generations.' For more information about the manuscript and to view images, visit theNational Library of Israel's website.
