Comedian Jerry Seinfeld visits Kibbutz Be’eri, meets survivors of Hamas massacre
American Jewish celebrity meets with Yuval Haran, whose father was killed on October 7, expresses admiration for resilience displayed by residents of destroyed community.
(THE TIMES OF ISRAEL) American Jewish comedian Jerry Seinfeld visited the Gaza border community of Kibbutz Be’eri on Tuesday during a wartime solidarity trip to Israel.
Along with his wife Jessica Sklar, Seinfeld met with Yuval Haran, whose father Avshalom was murdered in the vicious Hamas terror onslaught on October 7 which claimed the lives of more than 100 residents of their small community, and in which multiple members of Haran’s extended familywere taken hostage to Gaza.
Haran hosted Seinfeld and his wife in the ruins of his family’s home in the kibbutz and the two discussed Haran’s father’s love for the comedian’s sitcom “Seinfeld,” in which he played a semi-fictionalized version of himself.
“When I heard that Seinfeld was coming to the kibbutz, it really moved me,” Haran said.
“He is one of the characters that my father really appreciated, and I can’t count the number of times we would sit together and watch Seinfeld.”
The celebrity couple also met with survivors of the devastating attacks in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were massacred across southern Israel and some 240 were seized as hostages.
According to Walla news, the survivors, evacuated from their communities, told Seinfeld about their desire to return home and to live in peace and safety, which they stressed could not happen until Hamas is destroyed.
Kibbutz Be’eri is the largest of the Gaza border communities. Prior to October 7, it was home to some 1,100 residents.
At the end of his visit to the kibbutz, Seinfeld was reported to have expressed his admiration for the residents’ resilience and told them that he was “proud to be an ambassador for spreading the truth throughout the world.”
In response to the October 7 attacks, Israel launched an aerial campaign and subsequent ground operation in Gaza, vowing to eliminate Hamas and end the terror group’s 16-year rule of the Strip.
Earlier in his visit, Seinfeld met in Tel Aviv with the families of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, as well as with hostages released from captivity during a weeklong truce in late November.
“Seinfeld told the families that he feels a deep commitment to raising awareness around the world about the issue of the hostages,” according to a statement issued by the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum Headquarters. He and his family were clearly “deeply affected” by the stories they heard from the family members and the released hostages.
A Channel 13 report said that the meeting lasted two hours longer than scheduled and that Seinfeld was “sensitive” and “caring.”
It is believed that 128 hostages remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November.
Four hostages were released prior to that, and one was rescued by troops. The bodies of eight hostages have also been recovered and three hostages were mistakenly killed by the military.
The Israel Defense Forces has confirmed the deaths of 21 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza.
In the days after Hamas’s shock attack on Israel on October 7, Seinfeld was among hundreds of Hollywood celebrities who signed an open letter condemning the “barbaric acts” of the Hamas terrorists.
“This is terrorism. This is evil. There is no justification or rationalization for Hamas’ actions,” the letter read. “These are barbaric acts of terrorism that must be called out by everyone.”
Seinfeld is one of several notable American celebrities to have made the trip to Israel in recent weeks to show support, including Michael Rapaportand Debra Messing.
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