Itzik Bonzel, a candidate for the Likud party in the upcoming Knesset elections, issued an apology on Monday after posting a Facebook message in which he expressed a wish that former hostage Yocheved Lifshitz could be returned to Hamas. Bonzel, who is slated for the 29th spot on the Likud list, is a bereaved father whose son, Staff Sgt. Amit Bonzel, fell in combat in the Gaza Strip.
The controversy began following a Channel 13 interview in which Lifshitz, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz, criticized the Likud campaign’s claims regarding the return of abductees from Gaza. Lifshitz stated that they didn’t return a single abductee, and that’s one big lie
, claiming instead that Miriam Adelson facilitated the releases by giving $100 million to Donald Trump. Lifshitz further asserted that it would be a disaster for this country
if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains in power after the elections.
Details of the Social Media Attack
Responding to Lifshitz’s comments, Bonzel published a scathing post arguing that Lifshitz was rescued not by Miriam Adelson, but by hundreds of heroes who entered that hell to bring you back alive
, some of whom did not return. He described Lifshitz’s words as pathetic, infuriating, and out of touch
, stating that the rage resulting from the loss of sons who fell for her sake simply knows no bounds
.
In the most severe portion of the post, Bonzel wrote, I have never written in such a manner before, but I wish there were a way to turn back the clock and return you to the hands of Hamas
. He justified the statement by claiming that in the face of Lifshitz’s display of ingratitude
, she simply did not deserve to have our precious, holy sons sacrifice their lives for you
. He added that Lifshitz’s hatred for Netanyahu has driven you out of your mind
and shattered her morality and shame.
Responses from Lifshitz and Political Opponents
Yocheved Lifshitz responded by accusing Netanyahu of using a hand-picked candidate to incite
against her to divert public attention from specific personal warning calls and alerts the Prime Minister received that could have prevented the October 7 catastrophe. Lifshitz stated that Netanyahu abandoned
her, her husband Oded—whose body was returned to Israel in February 2025—and 45 other hostages who died in captivity.
Lifshitz invited the public to join her at the Catastrophe Sukkah
in Hostages Square, vowing that the failure of the government would not be removed from the public agenda.
Apology and Context
Following the backlash, Bonzel deleted the original post and released an apology on Monday. He explained that as a bereaved father, he was pained by comments he felt humiliated our soldiers
, but admitted that in a storm of emotions
, he wrote a sentence regarding Lifshitz in the context of Hamas that he did not mean
.
While Bonzel’s post attributed Lifshitz’s rescue to soldiers entering tunnels, records indicate she was released on October 23, 2023, after 17 days in captivity through mediation by Qatar and Egypt.
Bonzel had recently appeared in the news for a different event, having stood in the UN General Assembly hall in New York to shout Am Yisrael Chai
as Netanyahu entered to deliver an address, an act Bonzel contrasted with the representatives of dozens of countries who left the chamber.