Freed Israeli Hostages Praise Trump at NRCC Dinner, Plead for Help to Rescue Remaining Captives

By: Fern Sidman

In an emotionally charged appearance at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) dinner in Washington on Tuesday night, three former Israeli hostages captivated the room with harrowing testimonies of their ordeal in Hamas captivity, heartfelt expressions of gratitude, and urgent pleas for continued efforts to rescue the 59 hostages still held in Gaza. According to a report in Israel Hayom, the former hostages — Yair Horn, Aviva Siegel, and her husband Keith Siegel — were personally invited to the event by President Trump, who they credited with playing a decisive role in securing their release.

The evening, which was designed to energize Republican lawmakers and donors ahead of the upcoming election season, took on a somber and deeply personal tone when the three former hostages took the stage. One by one, they spoke not only of the anguish they endured but also of the hope they now hold for the lives still hanging in the balance.

Keith Siegel, an American-Israeli dual citizen, offered a stirring account of survival and appreciation. According to the report in Israel Hayom, he directly credited Donald Trump with his freedom and that of 32 other hostages.

“I am here, and I am alive. President Trump, you saved my life. You saved the lives of 33 hostages,” Siegel said with emotion, as was indicated in the Israel Hayom report.  “Because of your efforts and setting the hostage crisis at the high priority of what you’re doing… we all owe our lives to you. Please continue your tremendous efforts… and we will get, with your help, all the remaining 59 hostages still held in Gaza.”

Siegel’s words were not just a personal thank you but also a call to action. He urged Trump to maintain pressure and leadership on the issue, suggesting that without global attention and resolve, the remaining hostages may never see freedom.

His wife, Aviva Siegel, echoed his gratitude but also struck a deeply human chord as she expressed the bittersweet nature of their reunion. “Thank you, President Trump, for bringing my Keith home. Keith’s grandchildren, Keith’s children, Keith’s family – they are the happiest. But I am the most happy,” she said, according to the Israel Hayom report.

But her plea quickly shifted from gratitude to urgency.  “We need you to bring back all the hostages. They need to come home to their families just like I received Keith. We have Yair standing with us, and Eitan, his brother, is underneath the ground, begging to get out. I am begging you all to help us,” she implored the room.

Yair Horn, whose brother Eitan remains in captivity, delivered perhaps the most gut-wrenching testimony, as was noted in the Israel Hayom report. “I’ve been in hell for 498 days,” Horn said, describing his time held by Hamas as a descent into darkness. “We didn’t see the light.”

Horn was especially poignant when recalling the emotional moment he learned of Trump’s political resurgence. “When we heard President Trump get elected, we knew that there’s now someone who makes things happen. We are here because of President Trump. Thank you for your efforts,” he said, according to the information provided in the Israel Hayom report.

Struggling to contain his emotions, Horn broke down in tears as he described his past life and his present trauma. “I’m a simple man, running the bar in the kibbutz, in Nir Oz, where I live, and now I’m here with President Trump, who’s running the world,” he said, his voice trembling. He added a moving personal request as the Jewish holiday of Passover approaches: “My little brother, I call him ‘little,’ he’s 38, but he’s my little brother. I hope he can sit with us at the seder of Passover.”

Horn closed by addressing Trump directly: “We humbly ask for the final push that will bring back the 59 hostages.”

In his remarks, Trump appeared visibly moved by the hostages’ stories and took a harsh tone toward Hamas. “Hamas is a disaster. These people [the hostages], what they had to go through, is just horrible,” he said, as per the information in the Israel Hayom report. “I was told before, 24 are living, the rest are dead. These are young people largely. They don’t die, they are killed.”

Trump then shared a moment that struck many in the audience: “I’ve had Israeli parents tell me ‘my son is dead, but please bring him home,’ as though he was alive… she wanted him brought home more than if her child was living. Amazing.”

The president, who has been positioning himself as a staunch advocate for the Israeli cause, emphasized the depth of suffering inflicted by Hamas and urged the audience to remain vigilant and active, as was reported by Israel Hayom.  “That is a terrible thing that’s going on with Hamas. The hatred is so incredible; it’s unbelievable. There are great people in this audience, they’re going to fight for you,” he concluded.

As Israel Hayom reported, the testimonies from Yair Horn, Keith Siegel, and Aviva Siegel were more than emotional recollections — they were a call to the conscience of American leadership. Their appearance at the NRCC dinner reminded the political elite that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not a distant concern but an urgent and ongoing tragedy affecting real families.

With 59 hostages still languishing under conditions that defy comprehension, the former hostages’ unified message was simple and sobering: the work is not done. President Trump’s apparent willingness to prioritize their cause has given them hope — now, they plead for it to continue.