Content warning: This story contains graphic and disturbing details.
Arnold Schwarzeneggersays it is “extremely important” to shine a light on civilian accounts from Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
“It’s extremely important that the world hears those stories,” Schwarzenegger tells PEOPLE. “We hope that will make this hatred slowly disappear. Because a huge amount of damage is done through hatred, a huge amount of lives are lost.”
“I have never dealt with anything like this before,” Schwarzenegger also admits during the event. “I always want to be there for the Jewish people, and for Israel.”
Jon Kean courtesy of Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem
Noting he’s “been on this campaign for a long time to fight hate,” the former governor adds, “when something like this happens, I feel personally that we have to speak out.”
During the event, Israeli teen Ella Shani, 14, spoke bracingly of waking up in her home in kibbutz Be’eri and running from terrorists while still wearing her pajamas, then days later learning her father had been murdered. Her 16-year-old cousin,Amit Shani, was held hostage in Gaza until Nov. 29.
“Usually we use this group chat to discuss stupid things, like when is the food coming or when’s the bus coming out and ‘I’m late.’ But that day was different," she says.
“On October 7th, the messages we received in that group chat were nothing but kids begging for help, begging for their lives.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ella Shani.Jon Kean courtesy of Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem
Shani says Hamas cut the electricity to her home and recalled sitting in the dark reading texts from her uncle saying his house was on fire.
In the living room, the floor “was covered with blood and there were body parts scattered around,” said Shani. “I remember having a hard time realizing what I’m looking at, but as soon as I realized, my first instinct was covering my little brother’s eyes.”
Then Hamas attacked again, she says.
“And it’s like in the movies when you see the bullets hitting the wall right behind you and you hear them whistling next to your ear."
As they fled, “everything was on fire," she says. “Houses of my friends. Remembering the texts from before, them saying, ‘I’m in a room with the bodies of my parents and the house is on fire. Somebody help me.’ And I’m seeing the house, knowing they’re still in there.”
“An 8-year-old boy, a friend of my little brother, came to us wearing nothing but his boxers and shirt and blood all over his face and his glasses were missing. And he told my brother, ‘They killed my dad and (10-month-old) sister and shot my mom.’ That’s when we find ourselves with an 8-year-old boy and a 3-year-old boy covered with their parents' blood going on the bus. And that’s honestly what broke me, realizing that actually happened and kids actually became orphans.”
An Israeli man in a square in Tel Aviv on Nov. 24, 2023, holds a photo of his relative Elkana Bohbot.Kyodo via AP Images
Kyodo via AP Images
Both of Shani’s grandparents had been shot inside the kibbutz, but survived. Her cousin Amit was taken hostage, she would find out later, and another devastating update was yet to come.
“Five days after everything that happened, I remember hearing my mother crying in the bathroom. I remember just asking, who is it now? And she looked at me without saying anything and I realized it was about my dad.”
Yaakov Bohbot, 36, calls his brother Elkana a “happy, kind family man” and said he was kidnapped after helping evacuate the wounded at the desert festival.
“We’re going through hell,” says Yaakov. “Every day is more and more painful. The only thing that we can do is raise awareness to bring him and all the hostages back home.”
Lior, 61, is a volunteer ambulance driver, said his son Bar, and on the morning of Oct. 7, he and his wife heard gunshots from the neighboring kibbutz.
“So without thinking, he just told my mom, ‘Go to the safe room,’ and ran outside to see where he can help because that’s who he is. That’s his mentality,” Bar says.
During the roundtable, Schwarzenegger was gifted with a symbolic silver necklace honoring Israeli hostages that read “our hearts are in Gaza.“The actor in turn presented attendees with bronze eagle statues.
source: people.com
