Yulie Ben Ami, daughter of Hamas hostage survivors Raz and Ohad Ben Ami, got married on Thursday in an emotional ceremony attended by President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal.
Herzog called the ceremony a “moment of pure victory and happiness” in a post on X/Twitter, remembering the struggle of Yulie and her sisters, Ella and Natalie, to bring their parents home and the “harrowing images” of Ohad following captivity.
“They never gave up hope for even a moment that the family would be together again – and now the moment has arrived,” Herzog said in the post.
“Seeing the entire family today, three full years after the horrific disaster, standing together at their daughter’s wedding, is a joy that’s hard to describe.”
Herzog also applauded Roberto Meir, Yulie’s partner, for his “heroism” on October 7. “He fought terrorists in the kibbutz – and today he stands beside Yulie under the huppah,” he wrote.
Who are Raz and Ohad Ben-Ami?
Yulie and her family members were strong advocates in the fight to return hostages captured by Hamas, even after her father was returned to Israel following a deal to release Palestinian prisoners.
Ohad was freed from Hamas captivity after 491 days, alongside Or Levy and Eli Sharabi. His wife, Raz, was released after 54 days in Gaza, also as part of a hostage deal.