Moshe Or learned of his younger brother Avinatan’s kidnapping in the most unimaginable way. Avinatan, Noa’s boyfriend, had been at the Nova music festival on October 7 when he was taken. Moshe, meanwhile, had been called to serve, completely unaware of the nightmare his brother was living through. He had no idea that Avinatan had attended the festival that night—a night that would change everything for their family.
As Moshe scrolled through a Telegram channel for news updates, he stumbled upon a video that shook him to his core. The clip showed Avinatan and Noa being taken captive. Moshe’s world shifted, and at that moment, he began a journey to find his brother—a journey that would stretch across borders, test his endurance, and reveal the depths of his conviction.
After seeing the video, Moshe went home for three days to absorb the gravity of what he’d witnessed. But he couldn’t stay still. Joining his unit in Gaza, he refused to stand by while his brother remained missing. For six relentless months, Moshe searched every possible avenue, pursuing clues that might lead him to Avinatan. Though he never found him, he never stopped searching.
“I tried the army way,” Moshe explained, his voice steady yet carrying the weight of unspoken pain. “And now I’m trying the civilian way. I’ve been to the UN, to Qatar—I’ll try anything and go anywhere.” Each word was weighted with resolve, but Moshe’s ordeal had grown beyond personal tragedy.
“This isn’t just my fight. It isn’t Avinatan’s fight, or even just Israel’s fight,” he said, his voice gaining depth as he spoke. “This is a fight between the people of light and the people of darkness. Between those who believe in women’s rights and those who treat women like animals. We have to save the Western way of life.”
Moshe believes that the hostages are ensnared in a political labyrinth, caught in the crosshairs of global diplomacy, and entangled in complex international agendas. “That’s our catastrophe,” he lamented. “It’s not right. This is a human rights crisis, not politics.”
Moshe spoke to the heart of the issue, posing a challenge: “Do you believe women, gays, Black people have rights? Do you believe you have the right to go to a party? Then fight for Avinatan.”
When I asked him how people could help, his answer was both direct and unfiltered. “Just do,” he said. “Don’t overthink it, don’t worry about whether it’s the right thing to do. Anything could help, or it could make things worse. There’s no way to know. Everyone has an opinion, but the reality is Avinatan is not home. So don’t think. Just do.”
He added, “It doesn’t matter which hostage you mention. We’re all fighting together. Join the forum for the hostages’ families in your city. Anything is help.”
In Moshe’s determination lies a call to action that transcends borders, a plea for unity in a fractured world. His journey reflects the enduring power of family, the unyielding pursuit of justice, and the drive to uphold human rights—values that extend beyond any one person or one nation.
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Yifat Gat, an Israeli-born resident of the south of France, is a painter and an unschooling mother of five. As the community manager for OCT7, she organizes and hosts a weekly Zoom meeting that features compelling guests, including Moshe Or. Through her work with OCT7, Yifat fosters connection and advocacy on critical issues.