Former hostage Elkana Bohbot plans speaking tour, book

Bohbot said what helps him most during his recovery period is focusing on his book “738 Days of Hamas Captivity.” “I try to push things,” he said.

Former Hamas hostage Elkana Bohbot became a “completely different person” after returning from captivity and focused on writing his book, 738 days of captivity in Hamasto help him in his recovery process, he told 103FM in an interview Wednesday morning.

“I try to push things,” he said. “It is important to me that the book is present in every home. This is my mission.”

He is also planning a speaking tour that will begin in Israel in March, with plans to then travel abroad. “My recovery is also my explanation, to perpetuate my friends, may their memories be a blessing.”

“I know one day I’ll go out again and make people dance, but right now I’m just not capable of it,” he added.

Before October 7, 2023, Bohbot was a routine partygoer and one of the organizers of the Nova festival.

“When the rockets started, a police officer ran up to me and told me we had to break up the event,” Bohbot recalled. “We turned off the music and I told everyone to get out of there. Those were moments I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”

Bohbot rebuilds family ties

Bohbot spoke at length about his family life, including his relationship with his son. “I’m over the moon, I got my life back like a prize,” he said. “I’m in Sheba every week, getting treatment with my son; we do a lot of things together and on Friday I’m going to start riding horses with him.”

His current role in the family is that of “full-time father,” Bohbot described. He explained that he was working with a psychiatrist to learn how to rebuild his bond with his wife and son.

“Yesterday, on Family Day, my son drew a drawing,” he says proudly, “and we could finally see color in it – yellow, blue, red. It brought the whole family together.”

Bohbot also talked about the next exciting event: Purim. “For two years, I couldn’t see how my son dressed. It ate at my heart in the tunnels. I thought maybe he was dressed as a policeman, maybe a soldier, maybe an Indian. Now my ultimate happiness is going for ice cream with him. All new, living a child again.”

Another source of joy for Bohbot was the support he received from Israeli society, notably when he was invited as a guest of honor to watch his favorite football team, Beitar Jerusalem, play at the Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. “I grew up in the East stands. I was a member for ten years. The other day I experienced one of the craziest moments of my life. These moments cannot be described in words.”

The difficulties linked to the recovery were shared in good humor. Asked about his sleep, Bohbot replied: “Sometimes yes, sometimes no, sometimes why not?

“I carry a lot of pain and loss,” he admitted. “A lot of friends and a lot of people. Beyond the suffering I’ve endured, I have these difficult moments where I find myself alone, and then my thoughts start to wander. That’s where my fear is.”