'We have to take him down': Hostage's mother says Netanyahu sabotaging deal

Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, was interviewed recently on Nissim Mishal and Geulah Even Sa'ar's program on 103FM radio. Zangauker referred to the ongoing hostage deal talks and slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"This is a very difficult morning," Zangauker began. "I understand that the prime minister is not interested in reaching a hostage deal, [not at] the price of ending the war. We saw what happened yesterday. Before the arrival of Hamas's official answer, the prime minister issued briefings with one and only goal - to deliberately thwart the deal again. Those involved in the negotiations admit that this is going to be a deal that will have a heavy price, and we can handle it. The prime minister illustrates in the strongest way imaginable that his goal is only to thwart the deal." 

"The prime minister is not interested in the hostages returning home and concluding the war in the South and addressing the conflict in the North," Zangauker continued. "He is only interested in continuing to preserve his coalition, which, to remind you, is blackmailing him so that he will continue to fail to address the issues we are facing. We did not choose Sinwar to lead the country. We chose this leadership, which is currently right-wing. The government does everything, including briefings, deliberate sabotage, and going against our security system, to weaken the security system in the country. They abandoned the citizens on October 7, and they will continue to do so. There is no choice. We will have to take him down."

Is Netanyahu deliberately sabotaging the hostage deal?

Zangauker was asked if she had heard from the negotiating team that Prime Minister Netanyahu was deliberately sabotaging the deal.

"Yes, he is," Zangauker replied. "One of the three people directly involved in the negotiations for the deal told me this explicitly. I am now calling out the prime minister and everyone involved in the negotiations that this is the last chance to save the country. Without the return of the hostages, we don't have a functioning country."

In conclusion, Zangauker stated that "the security system repeatedly tells us that there will be painful prices to pay as a country in the form of the release of thousands of murderers from prisons. We are the families of 120 kidnapped hostages. It is legitimate to have opinions here and there. We do not want to incite violence against the prime minister or any of the elected officials. We need to be careful with our language and serve as an example to the public that listens to our plead."