By Randy DeSoto May 29, 2025 at 6:07pm
Former Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov told CNN that his Hamas captors’ behavior toward him changed for the better after Donald Trump was elected president in November.
And that’s not surprising, given the support Trump has shown Israel in the past, versus the cold shoulder former President Joe Biden, and to a greater extent, Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris gave to the Jewish State.
“[The terrorists] were very scared of [Trump]. They wanted Kamala to be elected,” Shem Tov told CNN’s Bianna Golodryga in an interview aired Wednesday.
“But as soon as Donald Trump was elected, they understood he wants to bring the hostages back home. So immediately, the way they treated me changed,” the 22-year-old added. “More food, [they] treated me better. Stopped cursing me. Stopped spitting on me.”
“(The terrorists) were very scared of (Trump). They wanted Kamala to be elected. But as soon as Trump was elected, they understood he wants to bring the hostages back home. So immediately the way they treated me changed…My food, they treated me better.”
Omer Shem Tov tells me… pic.twitter.com/phHusemiAc— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) May 28, 2025
Golodryga asked Shem Tov if he thought the change in treatment was because the Hamas captors thought a deal would come soon.
He felt that was the case.
Shem Tov was among the approximately 250 hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, and survived 505 days in captivity before being released in February as part of a temporary cease-fire agreement that Trump’s team helped negotiate, Fox News reported.
Shem Tov and seven other hostages who were released met with Trump in the Oval Office in March.
“My family and, I, myself, we believe you’ve been sent by God to release us. You really helped. You have the power to do it,” he told the president.
Naama Levy concurred that Trump made the difference, saying, “You were our hope, when we were there. Now you’re their hope,” referring to those still held captive.
“Once you were elected, we heard that you want to do everything to make a deal as soon as possible,” she added.
Breaking: released hostages met with President Trump and thanked him for managing to get the hostage deal done – and asked him to get the rest of them out as well.
This is what they told him:
Omer Shem Tov: “My family and, I, myself we believe you’ve been sent by god to release… pic.twitter.com/lwx9SYHeTH— Neria Kraus (@NeriaKraus) March 5, 2025
Trump responded, “Well, we said … ‘You better let them out.’ … Something happened. Now we’ve got to get the rest out. We’re working on it very hard.”
On Wednesday at the White House with Trump by his side, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steven Witkoff announced a framework had been agreed to for a temporary cease-fire reached between Hamas and Israel.
“And I have some very good feelings about getting to a long-term resolution — temporary cease-fire and a long-term resolution, a peaceful resolution — of that conflict,” he said.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East @SteveWitkoff on Gaza: “I think that we are on the precipice of sending out a new term sheet that hopefully will be delivered later on today… I have some very good feelings about getting to a long-term resolution — temporary ceasefire.” pic.twitter.com/Cg4wNeNBsh
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 28, 2025
The deal “calls for the release of 10 living hostages and 18 deceased hostages, as well as a 60-day truce,” an Israeli official told CNN.
Trump and his team have displayed vigorous leadership in seeking to bring the war in Gaza to an end.
It’s a stark contrast to the tepid, on-again, off-again support the Biden-Harris regime offered Israel, only emboldening Hamas to keep the hostages and fight on.
No wonder they wanted Kamala to win.
Randy DeSoto has written more than 3,000 articles for The Western Journal since he began with the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book “We Hold These Truths” and screenwriter of the political documentary “I Want Your Money.”
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean’s list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith
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