Pro-Israel Australian journalist Erin Molan met Sunday evening with relatives of Hamas hostages at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation in Tel Aviv. The meeting included Yossi Schneider, cousin of hostage Shiri Bibas, and Ashley Waxman Bakshi, cousin of hostage Agam Berger, along with the founder of the "I'm That Jew" movement and the center's CEO Efrat Duvdevani.
Video: Australian journalist Erin Molan meets with representatives of the Israeli hostages' families. Credit: Courtesy of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation
Opening the meeting with a somber acknowledgment of the circumstances, Molan shared her firsthand experience of visiting the devastated home of the Bibas family in Nir Oz. Schneider provided a harrowing account of his cousin Shiri's capture, revealing how she attempted to protect her children during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. "She screamed inside, trying to keep her voice down so they wouldn't take the children from her," he recounted.
Moved by Schneider's resilience in advocating for his family's return, Molan described his determination as "amazing." Despite the emotional weight of uncertainty – particularly following the family's absence from a previous hostage release deal – Schneider maintained hope for their eventual return.
👋🙏 … so I'm not going anywhere… unfortunately 😉😘 pic.twitter.com/6YaEx7x5ZG
— Erin Molan (@Erin_Molan) December 13, 2024
The meeting concluded with a poignant group embrace. Throughout the conflict, Molan has remained an outspoken advocate for Israel, publicly declaring her support and discussing her admiration for Israel and its security forces on various platforms. This stance ultimately appears to have led to significant professional consequences, including a barrage of criticism and the termination of her regular Friday broadcast slot at Sky News.
