President Donald Trump hosted former hostages Yair Horn, Aviva Siegel, and her husband Keith Siegel on Tuesday night at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) dinner in Washington. The three took the stage and shared painful testimonies about their time in captivity, thanked the president for his efforts to secure their release, and pleaded with him to work toward bringing back the 59 remaining hostages in Gaza, including Eitan Horn, Yair's brother.
American-Israeli former hostage Keith Siegel shared his deep gratitude: "I am here, and I am alive. President Trump, you saved my life. You saved the lives of 33 hostages. Because of your efforts and setting the hostage crisis at the high priority of what you're doing among all of the enormous issues and things you're dealing with since you came into your position... We all owe our lives to you. Please continue your tremendous efforts... and we will get, with your help, all the remaining 59 hostages still held in Gaza."
Keith's wife, Aviva Siegel, also thanked Trump and pleaded for additional help: "Thank you, President Trump, for bringing my Keith home. Keith's grandchildren, Keith's children, Keith's family – they are the happiest. But I am the most happy." She immediately added, "We need you to bring back all the hostages. [They] need to come home to their families just like I received Keith. We have Yair standing with us, and Eitan, his brother, is underneath the ground, begging to get out. I am begging you all to help us."
🚨 MUST WATCH: American Israeli freed hostage Keith Segal thanks President Trump tonight at the NRCCpic.twitter.com/XVTbsmGkTq
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) April 9, 2025
Yair Horn, who was released in the latest deal after being separated from his brother Eitan, described the horrors of captivity: "I've been in hell for 498 days. I've been held in hell with Hamas terrorists. We didn't see the light." He added emotionally, "When we heard President Trump get elected, we knew that there's now someone who makes things happen. We are here because of President Trump. Thank you for your efforts."
Horn broke down in the middle of his speech and continued in a trembling voice, "It's really surreal to be here. I'm a simple man, running the bar in the kibbutz, in Nir Oz, where I live, and now I'm here with President Trump, who's running the world." He added a personal request ahead of the upcoming holiday: "In a few days, we mark Passover. It's family time...my little brother, I call him 'little,' he's 38, but he's my little brother. I hope he can sit with us at the seder of Passover."
At the beginning of his remarks, Horn turned to the president and asked, "We humbly ask for the final push that will bring back the 59 hostages."
Trump emphasized to the audience that they were joined "by brave people" and revealed disturbing details about the hostages: "Hamas is a disaster. These people [the hostages], what they had to go through, is just horrible. I was told before, 24 are living, the rest are dead. These are young people largely. They don't die, they are killed." He added, "I've had Israeli parents tell me 'my son is dead, but please bring him home,' as though he was alive... she wanted him brought home more than if her child was living. Amazing.
"That is a terrible thing that's going on with Hamas. The hatred is so incredible; it's unbelievable. There are great people in this audience, they're going to fight for you," the president concluded.
