02/06/2026
Standing ovation for Eli Sharabi last evening as he entered Barockhallen at Historiska. Hundreds of people came to listen to Eli in a fantastic and moving conversation with Madelaine Levy. An extraordinary, impressive man whose memoir Hostage (Gisslan, translated by Ylva Mörk for Bokförlaget Max Ström) is the first testimony of October 7 hostage survivor, it is a best selling book that has been so far translated into 20 languages. Eli Sharabi was kidnaped by Hamas from his home in kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, held hostage for 491 days, most of the time down under in the tunnels of Gaza. Merging out of Hamas’ tunnels on February 8 2025, a mere shadow of himself, he learned that his wife Lianne and daughters Noiya (16) and Yahel (13) were murdered in their home on October 7. Eli’s brother Yossi was also kidnaped from Kibbutz Be’eri on the same day and was later murdered in Hamas captivity. Eli made a decision to survive, to tell, to forward the memory of his loved ones. Writing his book Hostage was a mitzvah, publishing it is a mitzvah, reading it and forwarding his testimony - is a mitzvah. Photo: Magnus Swärd .scheja
