Last weekend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, visited the family of Ori Danino, one of the six hostages executed by Hamas in a tunnel in Rafah. Ori’s father, Rabbi Elchanan Danino, urged Netanyahu to work for the unity of Israel and the release of the hostages, and he also delivered pointed criticism.
In recordings published on the Binyamini and Guetta program on *Kan Reshet Bet*, Netanyahu said to the father: “I prayed, but we were not successful. I apologize to you, and you deserve to be with him.” The father responded, “Stop with the nonsense, the quarreling, and division. Without unity, we won’t survive. Close your office for 10 minutes, think about where the Jewish values you bring are.” He added, “The disaster happened because of the division. It’s clear as day. God showed mercy by having my son buried on the holy mountain. What state have you brought us to? Wake up, increase unity and love for Israel. Clear away all the nonsense. We’ve let too much in. Stop with the mandates.”
The father also said, “I don’t make the decisions, nor do I take part in outside conversations. We were silent for 11 months, but I feel like nothing has changed. Close yourself in a room and think about Jewish values. In the end, God does everything. We’ve received a slap. Not the Air Force, not the infantry. My son was part of the forces; I raised him for the army.”
Netanyahu responded to the father: “I won’t tell you what happens behind closed doors. I’m alone, facing the whole world, the President of the United States.” His wife added: “Facing the military,” hinting at alleged resistance from them. Netanyahu continued: “It’s a nuclear weapon that they’ll unleash on the world. Why are you here? To enjoy? The pleasures of power?” His wife questioned, “What pleasures?”
The father responded: “Sir, it all happened on your watch. My son was murdered in a tunnel built under your watch. You’ve been in power for many years, and the concrete and dollars were sent under your watch,” Elchanan said. “For 15 years, you sat in silence, did nothing. You armed them with tunnels and dollars. Did you come to listen or to say what you have to say? We’ve heard you for 15 years.”
In further recordings, Sara Netanyahu is heard saying to the father, “I know you’re in pain, but Elchanan, you’re saying things that others have told you.” The father responded, “You don’t know me or who I am.” Sara added, “Do you know what he’s done for 15 years?”
In an interview with 103FM on Tuesday morning, Danino shared that he told the Prime Minister’s associates in advance that he wouldn’t say easy things. “My words were in my heart, I won’t deny it. I had the opportunity to say them, so I did.”
“I had a conversation with him on Sunday, and I had already expressed some of my criticism. He could have chosen not to come, but he decided to come. I asked for forgiveness at the beginning of my words, but I said I had to express what was on my heart. Regarding the 101 hostages, if there’s even a small chance to bring them back, we must do everything we can,” he added.
A few hours after the release of the tough recordings, Prime Minister Netanyahu released a short video, stating: “I hear the cries of the hostage families who have lost their most precious loved ones. My wife and I attend these heartbreaking meetings, which simply shatter the heart into pieces. I hear, I listen, I do not judge, and I am doing everything to bring the hostages home and win the war.”
Einav Danino, Ori’s mother, told Ynet after the recordings were made public: “I don’t know what was leaked or not. It’s unfortunate that during our mourning, this is what we are dealing with. I want to honor my son. I want to follow the path my son chose. Enough with the politics. I feel like they’re looking for something, it’s just not real. Instead of focusing on our soldiers and hostages, they’re focusing on who leaked. I don’t want to be in the Prime Minister’s or the Chief of Staff’s shoes; we need to let these people do their jobs.”
She added: “I didn’t go to protests because that’s what I chose. If I had time to protest, I preferred to go help soldiers in the Gaza border. Everyone has their opinion, and I respect every person. This is the time to be united! If my son Ori saw what’s happening in the country… He was in the tunnels; at least he didn’t watch the news. Our country is becoming sick. I also told the Prime Minister – we need to focus on the main issues and not the trivial ones. Let’s unite for the security forces. Why aren’t we doing that? Do protests bring the hostages home? I haven’t seen a protest that brought hostages back.”
On October 7, during the Simchat Torah holiday, Ori went to the Nova festival with a friend. Three other friends joined them: Maya and Itay Regev, who were later released from Hamas captivity, and Omer Shemtov, who is still held captive in Gaza. Ori and his friend initially managed to escape the massacre in cars, but Ori ultimately decided to return to the danger zone to try and rescue the remaining friends. The friend survived, but Ori and the others were captured and taken hostage.
For nearly a year, Ori Danino’s family prayed for his return from captivity. Last week, their long wait ended in heartbreak, as they learned of Ori’s murder alongside five other hostages – Eden Yerushalmi, Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Alex Lubanov, and Almog Sarusi.
Elchanan Danino, Ori’s father, who lives in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem, shared with Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth during the shiva (mourning period) that he learned many things about his eldest son that he hadn’t known, which made him appreciate Ori even more. “During this week, we’ve learned things that have just amazed me,” he said after the shiva, “He gave himself up for his friends. He always thought of others first. His love for others was beyond any norm I’ve known.”
In an interview with 103FM, he also reflected on the meeting with the Prime Minister and said: “It wasn’t our intention to hurt him, God forbid. I spoke from my heart to his. I hope my heartfelt cry was understood by those who need to bring mutual responsibility to the forefront. I don’t think he’s evading responsibility – there’s a sense that for years, things haven’t been done here out of mutual responsibility and unity with Israel. I feel that we are united and loving people on the ground, but as you go higher, something falls apart, and sometimes, it breaks. I cannot stand by and watch this. I feel obligated to the 101 hostages still there, and I will do everything in my power to ensure they don’t go through what we are going through.”
