Survivor of Hamas captivity Matan Zangauker revealed that his mother’s vocal struggle for his release, which was often characterized by harsh attacks on the government, gave him strength in captivity and even caused the terrorists to show mercy on him at times.
“Thanks to her, the attitude toward me was slightly different. They always looked at me differently. If it were more small talk, they would offer me more food. They were ‘nicer’ from the moment they showed my mother on television. They feared me. It really helped me in captivity, that’s what saved me,” Zangauker said in an interview with Channel 12.
He responded to many rumors and conspiracy theories that have been spread about his mother and him during his captivity and after his return. “Together with all the love and support, I see and read things on Facebook and Instagram. When I met my mother, I had a backpack and a bag with tissues. They say that I had money that they gave me to give to my mother and sandwiches. It’s totally stupid. To hear that I was in Qatar, at parties and in a jacuzzi, getting massages and drinking cocktails, while I was in Hamas captivity. I was beaten and insulted. I underwent abuse, literal hell. It really hurts that people spread lies about me.”
In the interview, Zangauker shared the intense confrontations he faced with his captors, recounting how he responded to threats, lies, and humiliation from the terrorists despite the constant danger to his life.
“There was one particular captor who came every evening,” Zangauker recounted. “He would say, ‘We took down 20 tanks for you today, we killed soldiers.’ I would answer him, ‘That can’t be, you don’t have the tools.’ Every time I spoke up, I got beaten.”
He explained the reason behind his defiance: “I felt I had to defend the honor of the soldiers. I was in the army, I love my country, and it hurt me to hear him speak that way. I couldn’t stay silent.”