Review of ‘Saving Abigail’ by Liz Hirsh Naftali

When Hamas attacked Israel in the early morning hours of October 7, 2023, one of the hardest hit communities was Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Nukhba Force terrorists smashed through the border fence and launched a murderous rampage, going from house to house and killing, raping, and abducting civilians. Smadar and Roee Mor Idan were murdered in their home. Two of their children survived the attack by hiding inside a closet for 14 hours. Three-year-old Abigail was taken hostage by Hamas.

Spoiler alert: Abigail, the youngest U.S. citizen held by Hamas, was released in November, after 51 days of captivity in Gaza. Another spoiler alert: As of this writing, 97 hostages remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.

Saving Abigail: The True Story of the Abduction and Rescue of a Three-Year-Old Hostage by Liz Hirsh Naftali (Post Hill Press, September 9, 2024) details the author’s efforts, alongside others, to rescue Abigail and free the remaining hostages.

Hirsh Naftali, Abigail’s great aunt, happened to be in the country on that tragic October morning. The losses in her family hit hard, but she quickly realized there was something she could do. “I could tell people what had happened. I could let people know what Hamas had done to my family in Kfar Aza, and to the entire country,” she writes in the book.

With no prior knowledge or plan how to rescue a hostage from captivity, she set out to share her niece’s face and story, to not only bring awareness of the hostages’ plight, but to encourage American politicians and world leaders to increase diplomatic pressure on Hamas to release their prisoners.

“Practically speaking, I had no idea how to move the entire American federal government in the midst of an unprecedented geopolitical mess,” she writes. But “America still cared about its people, and when it focused its full powers towards a specific objective, it could make big things happen.”

Hirsh Naftali had an advantage over others who lost family members on October 7^th. She had connections with leading American politicians, many of whom she seemingly had on speed dial. She began calling and meeting with congressional and world leaders, including President Joe Biden.

The extensive name dropping on the pages of the book can be overwhelming, especially to those unfamiliar with American politics. However, with all her connections, Hirsh Naftali could not guarantee Abigail’s release.

“Freeing Abigail seemed an insanely ambitious goal most of the time,” Hirsh Naftali writes. “She was part of events far bigger than the kidnapping and captivity of one tiny three-year-old child.”

Abigail was among the group of hostages released back to Israel during a temporary truce. The second half of the book details the author’s continued advocacy for the release of the other hostages. While they remain captive in Gaza at this time, it is important to know that there are those who fight for their release every day, and this book’s author is one of them.

Liz Hirsh Naftali is an investor, philanthropist, and the host and creator of The Capitol Coffee Connection podcast. She is the mother of five children and has lived between Israel and the US since 1992.

Originally posted on The Times of Israel.