Far-right lawmaker Simcha Rothman on Monday drew a fierce backlash from relations of captives held in Gaza after saying that Israeli media shops made a “grave mistake” by airing terror teams’ movies of struggling Israeli hostages.
Later within the day, Likud MK Tally Gotliv additionally sparked criticism for saying that folks urging the federal government to do extra to free hostages ought to “be quiet.”
Rothman, an MK for the Spiritual Zionism celebration, made the feedback after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad posted propaganda movies final week of hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, respectively, each of whom appeared severely emaciated. The movies had been met with shock in Israel and past.
“It’s a grave mistake to look at the movies of the hostages, and it’s a grave mistake to publish them,” Rothman, who chairs the Knesset Structure, Legislation and Justice Committee, instructed Haredi radio station Kol Berama. “Even with out watching the movies, I do know that they’re Hamas propaganda.”
Describing the movies as a “psychological missile,” Rothman stated Israel already is aware of that the hostages’ situation is “tough,” and argued there was subsequently no cause to look at the footage.
“These movies purpose to demoralize and hurt us,” he stated within the radio interview. “That’s why I’m confused by everybody who watches them and everybody who broadcasts them.”
Hostage Rom Braslavski, in a nonetheless from a propaganda video launched by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, July 31, 2025. (Screenshot)
The movies had been made public on the request of the households of Braslavski and David, who wished to lift consciousness of their family members’ plight and preserve them within the public eye. Israeli media shops solely carry such movies, or parts of them, with the categorical permission of their households, and a few family don’t let media shops publish the footage.
The Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board, the group representing most captives’ households, accused Rothman of being “blind to what’s taking place” and “proving your callousness and that of the federal government you’re a member of.”
“In contrast to you, selecting to close your eyes and ignore it, the individuals of Israel regarded Evyatar [David] and Rom [Braslavski] within the eye, and the overwhelming majority of them demand the return of all 50 hostages and an finish to the preventing,” the Discussion board continued, demanding that the lawmaker “be ashamed and apologize.”
“The try and overlook October 7 and the hostages won’t succeed,” it vowed, referring to the date of the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel in 2023, throughout which the hostages had been kidnapped and 1,200 individuals had been killed. “The individuals see, the individuals keep in mind, and the individuals will carry dwelling the hostages.”
Ruby Chen — whose son Itai was killed by terrorists through the assault who kidnapped his physique to Gaza — stated Rothman was dwelling in a “parallel universe” and didn’t wish to be reminded that he’s “collectively accountable” for the catastrophe of the Hamas assault, Ynet reported.
Additionally on Monday, chaos erupted on the Knesset Home Committee as Gotliv stated critics of the federal government’s strategy to the hostages ought to “be quiet.”
Gotliv’s feedback got here throughout a turbulent listening to wherein lawmakers, family of hostages and bereaved relations clashed with one another. On the listening to, activist Israel Shor, whose brother was killed in an IDF raid on Lebanon in 1973 and who has been campaigning with hostages’ households, accused the federal government of “holding the hostages captive.”
“I don’t have a very good phrase to say concerning the Hamas murderers. They’re bloodthirsty predators,” Shor stated. However he added, “The one holding the hostages captive is the Israeli authorities. Our hostages are being held as captives by the Israeli authorities. The Israeli authorities has the facility to free the hostages.”
That assertion prompted a shouting match, throughout which Gotliv stated, “If Hamas hears what you’re saying, it received’t launch hostages.”
When Shor requested her to make clear if she meant they need to preserve quiet, she responded, “Sure, preserve quiet. Fully quiet.”
MK Tally Gotliv attends a Structure, Legislation and Justice Committee assembly on the Knesset, on July 14, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The opposition Democrats celebration stated in a press release posted to X: “The coalition hates the hostages, hates their households. That’s the bitter reality. Disgrace on you, Tali Gotliv.”
At one level, Braslavski’s cousin, Adam Hajaj, addressed the committee however was interrupted by bereaved relations who screamed about troopers killed making an attempt to rescue hostages.
“Let me communicate, I’m not towards you. I didn’t come to ask for a lot,” stated Hajaj. “I got here so that you can get to know Rom, who you’ll see within the video.”
He added: “The households of the hostages, the households of the bereaved are one individuals. For many who didn’t perceive this, I’m right here to say it.”
Tzvika Mor, father of hostage Eitan Mor and a member of the Tikvah Discussion board, a gaggle of bereaved households against a ceasefire deal, stated: “Why are you emotionally manipulating us? Hamas won’t ever launch my son. [Military] strain will carry a deal.”
A nonetheless of hostage Evyatar David taken from a Hamas propaganda video (left) launched on August 1, 2025. (Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board)
Relations of hostages have stored up a continuing presence at Knesset committee hearings the place they try to maintain the struggling of their family members within the public eye and on the federal government’s agenda. They’re normally granted time to talk, although typically the periods develop into heated as they conflict with coalition lawmakers.
Rothman, who has repeatedly had altercations with hostages’ households, in November of final yr refused to allow two family of hostages to play recordings of their family members throughout a gathering of his Knesset Structure, Legislation and Justice Committee.
Rothman claimed that the enjoying of any recordings needed to be coordinated forward of time.
Terror teams within the Gaza Strip are holding 50 hostages, together with 49 of the 251 kidnapped within the October 7 assault. They embody the our bodies of at the very least 28 confirmed lifeless by the Israel Protection Forces. Twenty are believed to be alive and there are grave issues for the well-being of two others, Israeli officers have stated. Hamas can also be holding the physique of an IDF soldier killed in Gaza in 2014.
