‘The only thing we think about is how to bring the hostages back’

“I find it very, very hard to describe in words the horrendous experience that I had, and the experience that 50 hostages and their families continue to suffer after 648 days,” says American-born Keith, 65.

Palestinian terrorist group Hamas escort American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel on a stage before handing him over to a Red Cross team in Gaza City on February 1, 2025, as part of the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange (Photo: Getty)Middle East Images/AFP via Getty

“I spent time in captivity with four hostages that are still in captivity, and I think about each and every one of those four, and all of the 50 hostages, every day, many times a day.

“I know what I experienced, and I know that others experienced even more horrific things than I did, and I'm quite sure, because they're young men, that it's likely that they are experiencing much worse.”

“The way they behave, I’ll never, ever, ever understand,” adds Aviva. “They think that Israel belongs to them, and they just hate us. The hate is stronger than anything else.”

Throughout the talk, the couple speak unflinchingly about the horrendous treatment they were subjected to – both failing to respond when Rabbi Mirvis asks if they came across “any kindness” from their captors.

“I experienced myself, and I witnessed other hostages experiencing severe abuse – physical, sexual, verbal,” says Keith – adding that the situation became worse after the first ceasefire ended on December 1, 2023.

“The terrorists became more agitated, more hostile, more violent. Out of the blue, I was told that I must lie down on my back, on the floor, all the time… For two consecutive days, I was kicked, and I was spat on, and I was screamed at and cursed.”

A few days after the Finchley Synagogue event, Keith revealed during an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 that on one occasion, he witnessed a female hostage “being beaten while they shoved a sharp rod into her forehead. [The captors] brought me into the chamber and instructed me to tell her to confess to actions she had never committed. I personally endured serious violence as well.”

Aviva Siegel (left) with other released hostages, who were abducted by the Palestinian Hamas terrorists on October 7, campaign for the release of the other hostages (Photo: Getty)AFP via Getty Images

“The way they behave, I’ll never, ever, ever understand,” adds Aviva. “They think that Israel belongs to them, and they just hate us. The hate is stronger than anything else.”

One of the most shocking moments came when the couple recalled their first few hours in Gaza.

“I was very, very worried about Keith. He looked scared. He had blood on his pants. He was in terrible pain,” Aviva shares. “But very shortly after we arrived underground, people from Kfar Aza started to come down, and one of them was full of blood. And he said: ‘Don't worry, some of the blood is from the dog,’

“And then, about five minutes after that, Chen Almog-Goldstein, the mother with her three children, came down, and she was going on and on: ‘They killed my daughter. They killed my husband. They killed my daughter.’ She fainted. I tried to wake her up, but she didn't.”

When asked by Rabbi Mirvis what he was experiencing at this time, Keith replied: “I was trying to be as calm as possible and trying to do my best to calm Aviva down and to present myself as being relaxed or not afraid.

The more they tried to convert me to Islam, the more my Jewish identity became stronger, and my belief became stronger

“And then, when the children were brought in… I was trying to engage with them, hoping to be of support to them. And I think it was… well I hope it was beneficial for the children, but I also felt like it was beneficial for me, that it kind of gave me something that I thought I could help with.”

Keith also revealed that Hamas terrorists were “constantly” trying to get him to convert to Islam – but that ultimately, this backfired.

“The more they tried to convert me to Islam, the more my Jewish identity became stronger, and my belief became stronger,” he says. “I incorporated into my daily routine prayers, which I hadn't done… ever.

“I also found that when I did that, I came closer to my roots, my parents, and I thought about the whole Jewish people. I felt like that also gave me a lot of strength, belonging to the Jewish people, knowing what so many Jews have gone through, and many have survived and come out of.”

As the evening draws to a close, the conversation turns back to the 50 hostages who remain in Gaza. “I would call upon Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump to do what needs to be done to get all of the 50 hostages back home,” says Keith. “We have an opportunity to save lives, and we have an opportunity to bring the deceased back to a proper burial – and those are two things that are so important in our faith.”