WARMINGTON: Levy spoke of dream of seeing hostage brother released. It came true

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Michael Levy not only dreamed of this day, but worked relentlessly to make it come true.

And he told The Toronto Sun a year ago, he would not quit until his brother, Or Levy, was released from the clutches of Hamas.  His dream has come true. Or part of it.

His full dream was that and every other hostage taken Oct. 7, 2023 would be returned home. Three down and 76 more to go.

Beneath the joy and elation on their faces, comes the reality of torture and maltreatment. Seeing the emotion pouring out of three Israeli hostages released Saturday was a historic moment for so many reasons.

Ohad Ben Ami, 56, Eli Sharabi, 52, and Or Levy, 34, had been held by Hamas militants in Gaza for almost 500 days. 

“The consequences of 491 days in captivity are evident on the faces of those who arrived at Sheba today, and their medical condition is poor,” Dr. Yael Frenkel-Nir, director of the General Hospital at Sheba Medical Center, told the Israeli press. “The prolonged captivity has led to a significant deterioration in their condition, which raises profound and urgent concerns for those who remain held.”

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The photos of the deterioration of these men are shocking, and historian and educator Aviva Klompas says they are a reminder of Holocaust history and the world’s failure on the promise of “never again.”

It happened again on Oct. 7 — and it’s still happening.

Levy, though, never gave up on rescuing his hostage kid brother, despite many days of darkness where it looked like all was lost. He saw the others coming home in body bags, and there was no contact with his brother or his captors.

“We don’t know exactly where he is,” Michael told me in an interview during a visit to the Toronto area where he made presentations to gather support to free all the hostages.

He could be “in one of those tunnels in Gaza or somewhere in the city” but “we do believe he is alive, and we will keep working to see him freed.”

On his 491-day quest to free Or from Hamas kidnappers in Gaza, Michael carried his two-year-old nephew Almog’s teddy bear with him as a reminder of just who he was fighting for.

“The boy needs to be back with his father,” Michael Levy told me in an interview a year ago. “He cries out for his parents every day.”

But right from the beginning of his effort to free Or Levy, it was clear there would be no reuniting with his mother. Or Levy’s wife, Eynav, 32, was murdered on Oct. 7 at the Supernova Music festival by Hamas terrorists who slaughtered 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 250 others including Or.

In a chilling interview, Michael told my colleague Warren Kinsella of the horrors that transpired on that day which was supposed to be a rare adventure at this music festival, near the Re’im kibbutz, while their young son would stay home and be minded by their grandparents.

“They got to the festival at 6:20 a.m., 10 minutes before hell started,” Levy told Kinsella.

All hell had broken loose. The Gaza militia breached the wall at the border in paragliders and by foot and started wreaking havoc and carnage.

“They ran into a bomb shelter not very far from the festival area. They thought they were safe,” Michael told Warren. “A few minutes after, a group of Hamas terrorists arrived and started throwing grenades and spraying bullets.”

It was already ugly. But it got worse.

“My brother had to watch his wife being murdered, before he was kidnapped into Gaza,” said Michael. “They killed Eynav and 17 other people. “

So it’s bittersweet to watch the two brothers be re-united and to see the older brother get young Almog on a video call with his dad.

“Dad, it took you a long time to come back,” Michael told Israel’s Channel 12, quoting what his nephew said to his brohter. He added, the boy told his father, “can’t wait to see you.”

It’s just the best possible outcome in what was a deplorable situation. If not for a ceasefire arrangement that was agreed to during a changing of the guard at the White House — as President Donald Trump replaced Joe Biden — that saw 183 Palestinian prisoners in Israel go the other way, the reunification would not have happened.

Michael never gave up hope.

“Our hearts tremble, and our minds refuse to believe the sight of Or’s face, returning to us in such a devastating state. His face tells the world the hell he endured for 491 days at the hands of Hamas’ monsters. Words can hardly contain the overwhelming emotions we are experiencing in this moment— immense pain, excitement, relief, tears of joy mixed with deep sorrow for the time stolen from us,” the Levy family said in a statement.

And they also paid tribute to his slain wife.

“Amid all this emotion, our thoughts turn to Eynav, of blessed memory, Almog’s mother, who was murdered on that cursed day. We believe she is looking down now, finding solace in seeing Almog finally embraced by his father. Her memory and legacy will always be with us.”

Almog Levis that legacy.

And that teddy bear his uncle Michael carried was not just a reminder of who was affected by these acts of evil, but also as a symbol of why no one should ever quit until every hostage returns home.