Surviving Hamas: The Story of Keith Siegel, an Israeli-American Hostage

Bruce News MA Ed.

Keith and Aviva Siegel’s nightmare began when Hamas terrorists stormed their home

In 1983 The Great Rabbi Meir Kahane Said These Prophetic Words - If We Would Have Listened And Acted On His Words He Said ..... "In Ramalah The Arabs Rioted, So They Sent Me There To Put Down The Riots. Now I Want You To Know. Not Five Minutes Passed, The Word Spread Through That Town Like Lightning Kahane Is Here. The Rioting Stopped. Its Important That Everyone Of You Know What The Name Kahane Means To The Arabs. It Means Terror. They're Afraid And That Is The Only Language That They Understand. For Those Nice Jews Sitting Here Who Say "That's Terrible, Let Me Just Repeat What Moshe Arons Once Said, "This Is The Middle East, Not The Middle West. That's Right Its The Middle East And That Is What The Arabs Know And Understand. If You're Good To Them Your Not Good, Your Weak And If You Are Weak You're Dead. If You Are Strong They Will Listen To You. I Don't Expect Them To Love Me. I Am Not The Type Of Jew Who Walks Around And Wants Them To Love Him. I'm Sick And Tired. You Know When People Love Us? After Every Holocaust. That's When They Love Us. That's When They Give Us Plaques And Monuments And Jimmy Carter Gives Us A Holocaust Commision. I Am Tired Of The Prayers For The Dead (Kaddish). I Am Tired Of The Anniversaries Of The Dead (Yahrtzeit) And Plaques. I Don't Want Love, I Want Respect". --- The Great Rabbi Meir Kahane --- 1983 (If Only We Listened).

On October 7, 2023, the world watched in horror as Hamas, the radical Islamic terrorist group controlling Gaza, launched a barbaric attack on Israel. Among the more than 200 hostages taken during the massacre was Keith Siegel, an Israeli-American who lived peacefully with his wife, Aviva, in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. His story is one of survival, resilience, and the enduring brutality of Hamas’s reign of terror.

A Day of Terror

Keith and Aviva Siegel’s nightmare began when Hamas terrorists stormed their home in Kfar Aza, a community just miles from Gaza’s border. The siege lasted hours as militants slaughtered civilians, burned homes, and dragged innocent men, women, and children into captivity. Keith and Aviva were among those abducted and taken into Gaza, where they were held under deplorable conditions.

For 50 days, Keith endured psychological torment, physical abuse, and the daily fear of execution. The conditions were inhumane—he was starved, beaten, and subjected to cruel psychological warfare. Hostages like Keith were forced to live in dark, cramped spaces, often underground, with little to no access to basic hygiene or medical care. They were denied food and water for extended periods, leaving them weak and malnourished.

Hamas militants took pleasure in tormenting their captives. Keith and other hostages were blindfolded and restrained for long hours, making even the most basic movements painful. They were beaten without warning, sometimes for no reason other than to assert the terrorists’ control. Hostages were also subjected to staged executions—Hamas members would cock their weapons, press them against the captives’ heads, and pretend to pull the trigger, laughing at the sheer terror they instilled.

Reports indicate that many hostages, including Keith, suffered sleep deprivation as their captors deliberately kept them awake with loud noises, bright lights, or random violent outbursts. They were also forced to watch Hamas propaganda and listen to threats that they would be killed if Israel did not submit to the terrorists’ demands.

The Long-Awaited Release

On November 25, 2023, after 50 grueling days in captivity, Keith Siegel was finally released as part of a temporary ceasefire and hostage exchange brokered between Israel and Hamas. However, his release was not a moment of joy—it was filled with heartbreak, as his wife Aviva was not among those freed at the time. Keith returned to Israel traumatized, his body weak and his spirit shaken, but determined to tell the world about Hamas’s barbarity.

Hamas: A Radical Threat to Civilization

Hamas is not a “resistance group,” as its sympathizers claim—it is a ruthless terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the slaughter of Jews. Their attacks on October 7 proved beyond any doubt that their mission is not about liberation, but about annihilation. No amount of international appeasement or political gymnastics can excuse the fact that Hamas terrorists butchered families, kidnapped elderly women and babies, and celebrated their atrocities like a medieval death cult.

The world must stop treating Hamas as a legitimate political entity and recognize it for what it is: a violent, extremist organization that thrives on the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians. Every effort should be made to dismantle Hamas, cut off its funding, and ensure that it never again has the capability to commit such heinous crimes. The West, especially the United States, must stand unequivocally with Israel in this fight against radical Islamic terrorism.

Keith Siegel’s survival is a testament to human resilience, but his story is also a stark reminder of the evil that still exists in the world. Hamas must be eradicated—not negotiated with, not tolerated, and certainly not legitimized. If civilization values freedom, security, and basic human dignity, then Hamas and its radical Islamist ideology must be condemned and destroyed.