Rescued hostage Noa Argamani to join PM Benjamin Netanyahu's flight to US

The rescued Israeli hostage Noa Argamani, together with her father Yaakov, is expected to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's flight to the US on Sunday along with other families of hostages, according to Israeli media.

The culmination of Netanyahu's visit to Washington next week is expected to be his speech to Congress on July 24, Ynet reported. Argamani was rescued in Operation "Arnon" about a month and a half ago.

Additional representatives of hostages, including Ditza Or, the mother of Avinatan Or, Argamani's partner, will join the delegation. Representatives of families of fallen soldiers will also join the delegation.

One hostage family member who declined to travel was Ayelet Levy-Shahar, the mother of hostage Naama Levy. Other families said that the prime minister's office offered them to join the flight, but they refused until Netanyahu embraced a hostage release deal, the Ynet report stated.

Sasha Ariev, the sister of the kidnapped observer Karina Ariev, is still debating whether to go. "I want to see progress," she said. "Until I understand that there are contacts for a deal, I won't be able to fly abroad with peace of mind." Alon Gat, brother of the hostage Carmel Gat, and Eliyahu Bibas, father of Yarden Bibas, are also considering whether to accept the invitation.

Hostage family members advise Argamani not to go

Danny Elgarat, whose brother Itzhak is still in captivity, responded to Argamani's possible departure on X by saying, "Netanyahu is using you. A trip with the Prime Minister sabotages the chance of getting the rest of the hostages back. Don't be an obstacle to getting a deal." A Maariv report described Elgarat's plea to Argamani "to avoid a situation in which he and other hostage family members would find themselves protesting against her."

**הבהרה הפניה שלי לנועה נועדה כדי להמנע מלהפגין נגדה בכך שהיא תהיה בפמליה של ראש הממשלה ותיחשף להפגנות. אין כוונה להפגין נגד מי שנוסע עם ראש הממשלה אלא רק נגד ראש הממשלה

— Elgarat dani מאבק לשחרור החטופים (@elgarat_dani) July 17, 2024

According to Elgert, traveling with Netanyahu is equivalent to acknowledging that he is not responsible for his failure of the oath of office in October.

Following the uproar on social media after the publication of that tweet, Elgarat posted a clarifying tweet later in the day: "My appeal to Noa was intended to avoid demonstrating against her by being in the Prime Minister's entourage and being exposed to demonstrations. There is no intention to demonstrate against those traveling with the Prime Minister, but only against the Prime Minister."

שמישהו יסביר לנועה ארגמני האהובה שהוא מנצל אותה..נחטפה פעם ראשונה בידי החמאס ופעם שניה על ידיו.. pic.twitter.com/KCklhkMN2e

— Ifat Kalderon (@IfatKalderon) July 17, 2024

Ifat Kalderon, whose cousin Ofer Kalderon is still in captivity, also responded to the initial Ynet report of Argamani's possible travel with the prime minister, posting on X, "Someone explain to her that [Netanyahu] is taking advantage of her. She was kidnapped the first time by Hamas and the second time by them."

Argamani was rescued in "Operation Arnon" last month, named after the IDF soldier was fatally wounded during the daring operation in Nuseirat camp where Argamani was rescued, along with three others in a separate building which he stormed at the head of his unit.