{"id":20303,"date":"2025-04-21T17:26:44","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T14:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/?p=20303"},"modified":"2025-04-21T18:52:25","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T15:52:25","slug":"israeli-hostage-survivor-eli-sharabi-to-light-independence-day-torch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/israeli-hostage-survivor-eli-sharabi-to-light-independence-day-torch\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli Hostage Survivor Eli Sharabi to Light Independence Day Torch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sharabi, who was abducted during the October 7 Hamas assault and held hostage in Gaza, became known for his strength, leadership, and emotional support to fellow captives during the ordeal. Upon his release, he learned of the devastating loss of his wife Lianne, his daughters Noiya, and Yahel, and his brother Eitan \u2014 all murdered in the same attack.<\/p>\n

Despite the unfathomable personal tragedy, Sharabi has since become a public advocate for the remaining hostages and a symbol of hope and unity. His calm demeanor and unwavering commitment to others have resonated deeply with Israelis across political and religious lines.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Eli Sharabi after his release from captivity | Photo: Chaim Tzah, GPO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A hero of the Israeli spirit<\/strong>
\nCulture Minister Miri Regev, who oversees the Independence Day events, personally informed Sharabi of the honor.<\/p>\n

\u201cEli is a true Israeli hero who entered the heart of the nation,\u201d she said. \u201cHe continues, with dignity and courage, to work toward the return of all the hostages and to strengthen the bonds between us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony, 2023 | Photo: Yonatan Sindel, Flash90<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bridges of Hope<\/strong>
\nThis year\u2019s torch-lighting ceremony, marking Israel\u2019s 77th Independence Day, will be held under the theme \u201cBridges of Hope\u201d, highlighting individuals whose actions bridge divides and embody the resilience of Israeli society.<\/p>\n

Sharabi\u2019s selection underscores the national commitment to the hostage issue and reflects a collective yearning for healing and unity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eli Sharabi, a survivor of Hamas captivity and a unifying figure in Israel’s ongoing national trauma, has been selected to light a torch at Israel\u2019s official Independence Day ceremony on Mount Herzl next week, the Ministry of Culture announced Monday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":20304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2276,85,88],"tags":[3079,4492,4491,4490,1709,3525,1514],"class_list":["post-20303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-people","category-positive-moment","category-will-remember","tag-eli-sharabi","tag-hamas-hostage-survivors","tag-independence-day-ceremony","tag-israel-independence-day","tag-miri-regev","tag-mount-herzl","tag-october-7"],"yoast_head":"\nIsraeli Hostage Survivor Eli Sharabi to Light Independence Day Torch - REGA news<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Israeli Hostage Survivor Eli Sharabi to Light Independence Day Torch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Eli Sharabi, a survivor of Hamas captivity and a unifying figure in Israel's ongoing national trauma, has been selected to light a torch at Israel\u2019s official Independence Day ceremony on Mount Herzl next week, the Ministry of Culture announced Monday.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/israeli-hostage-survivor-eli-sharabi-to-light-independence-day-torch\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"REGA news\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-21T14:26:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-21T15:52:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/eli-sharabi.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1022\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"By Rega News Staff\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"By Rega News Staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/israeli-hostage-survivor-eli-sharabi-to-light-independence-day-torch\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/israeli-hostage-survivor-eli-sharabi-to-light-independence-day-torch\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"By Rega News Staff\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/3f9b86ab4cc807acf1c0839b1f1ac2ce\"},\"headline\":\"Israeli Hostage Survivor Eli Sharabi to Light Independence Day Torch\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-21T14:26:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-21T15:52:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/israeli-hostage-survivor-eli-sharabi-to-light-independence-day-torch\/\"},\"wordCount\":256,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/israeli-hostage-survivor-eli-sharabi-to-light-independence-day-torch\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/eli-sharabi.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Eli Sharabi\",\"Hamas Hostage Survivors\",\"Independence Day Ceremony\",\"Israel Independence Day\",\"Miri Regev\",\"Mount Herzl\",\"October 7\"],\"articleSection\":[\"CULTURE\",\"PEOPLE\",\"POSITIVE\",\"REMEMBERING\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/israeli-hostage-survivor-eli-sharabi-to-light-independence-day-torch\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/israeli-hostage-survivor-eli-sharabi-to-light-independence-day-torch\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/israeli-hostage-survivor-eli-sharabi-to-light-independence-day-torch\/\",\"name\":\"Israeli Hostage Survivor Eli Sharabi to Light Independence Day Torch - 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