Fifth week without Margalit
"Like others, I'm starting to get angry that really not enough is being done."
“IT comes and it goes,” said Benny Monheit about his emotions, as he endured the fifth week on tenterhooks about the fate of his cousin Margalit Moses, 78, who was among some 240 Israelis abducted to Gaza on October 7.
“You feel frustration and anger, but life and family go on, and you have your work,” the Melbourne grandfather, who is president of B’nai B’rith Australia and New Zealand, told The AJN.
Monheit was at Temple Beth Israel on Friday night, where a Shabbat table with empty chairs and place names – including Margalit’s – marked the absence of kidnapped loved ones.
The last time he saw his cousin was one-and-a-half years ago on a visit to her kibbutz, Nir Oz. Margalit and her family had celebrated his birthday, and she baked him his favourite cheesecake.
On Sunday, October 8, Monheit received the news about Margalit’s abduction from Nir Oz. There were no details, until two hostages who were released spoke about her.
“Somebody saw her being driven away in a car,” he said.
The agony of following events from the other side of the world has been indescribable, he said. “It’s now over four weeks … I don’t think they might survive much longer if they’re not looked after. So time is of the essence. I support the actions by Israelis to push the government and the war cabinet to do more for the hostages.
“We’re worried that with all the attention on the day-to-day fighting, the hostages are taking lower priority, where it really should be equal. Set two goals: to destroy Hamas and to release the hostages. It’s strange that we haven’t had any news about their welfare … it’s just bizarre. We hear that there are negotiations going on about partial release, but it seems to prioritise people with dual passports.”
Monheit is emphatic that Israeli hostages should be given equal treatment with dual nationals in negotiations for their release.
“Like others, I’m starting to get angry that really not enough is being done.”
Margalit migrated to pre-state Israel with her three brothers before World War II and moved to Nir Oz when it was established in the 1950s.
“I think she liked the community. She didn’t like living in big cities like Tel Aviv or even Haifa, where some of the family settled. She was more of a pioneer.”
In his B’nai B’rith role, Monheit has stated Israel’s case to the Australian and New Zealand governments – and has also asked both governments to speak up more for the release of the hostages.
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