Released hostages Aviva and Keith Siegel have decided to step into international humanitarian work following their experience in captivity, the pair announced at the SID Israel conference on Tuesday.
SID-Israel is the umbrella organization for Israel’s international development and humanitarian aid community.
The Siegels have recently partnered with IsraAID, one of Israel’s leading humanitarian aid organizations, and are set to travel with the NGO to Kenya, where they will visit the world’s largest refugee camp in Kakuma.
The Siegels told attendees of the annual conference of SID Israel that their experience in Hamas captivity in Gaza has motivated them to enter humanitarian work.
“The extraordinary mobilization of Israeli society that fought for our freedom moved us deeply,” said Keith, who spent 484 days in Gaza. “We felt firsthand the meaning of holding on to hope even in the hardest moments. From this, we understood how critical humanitarian aid and international development are, and we decided to become part of this field in order to restore hope for others.”
He also said his own suffering made him realize he could not be indifferent to the suffering of others.
“Just as suffering does not distinguish between people, we also want to be wherever we are needed,” he said, adding that “That is why we chose to strengthen Israeli humanitarian action in the world, action based on compassion, human equality, respect for human dignity, and care for others.”
Keith Siegel shows hope about the future
Keith expressed hope that the strength, commitment, and determination that Israeli society directed toward the release of Hamas’ hostages will now be directed toward raising awareness about reducing suffering and assisting millions of people around the world who live in extreme living conditions and need help.
He added that he views humanitarian and development work as an investment in the future and in the ability of the next generation to live with security, dignity, and hope.
“We hope to build together a safer and more just world for our children, a world in which education and conscious action for others are foundational pillars of society, and where real action is taken with the intention of reducing human suffering and increasing hope,” he said.
Aviva spoke of her experiences in Gaza and how she witnessed people making the choice to commit acts of evil.
“I saw it there in Gaza, how people who have the simplest choice, to do or to be, choose to be the worst, the most cruel, the most terrible people. But we are not like that. We sit around the table with family and friends and only talk about what more we can do so that others will have it better. Who else can we give water to? Who else can we ensure safety for and bring things they do not have?”
She spoke of how she tried to remain “an Israeli, with a heart” in Gaza, and recounted a story of how she provided support for an 86-year-old woman on the pickup truck who “was almost no longer alive.”
“I did everything I could to make her start breathing, while they brought a cameraman to film the woman who looked dead. I looked at that cameraman and learned what they are made of, and I continued to be myself, giving her a massage, calming her, shouting in her ear that she had to stay alive for her children.”
“She stayed alive because I, like you, am a human being with a heart who only wants to give and to help.”
“We must ensure that this does not continue, that it does not exist anywhere, not in Kenya, not in Ukraine, because I was there, I saw it, I felt it,” she said.
“Precisely in an era of ongoing crises, conflicts, and disasters, humanitarian work is more important than ever,” added Keith, “No matter how suffering is created, it can always be reduced when people choose to act.”
Israeli aid organizations see decline in partnerships post-war
Research by SID earlier this month revealed that 40% of Israeli humanitarian and international development organizations operating abroad reported a decline in international partnerships since the start of the war.
Around 60% have also reported that their ability to raise funds has been negatively affected since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. More than one-third say they have faced threats – and, in some cases, actual moves – to suspend cooperation.
About 60% of organizations also reported experiences of anti-Israeli or antisemitic incidents, either personally or among colleagues. Staff and volunteers also reported a decline in personal security, fear of operating in the field, and, in some cases, staff departures and layoffs.
Nevertheless, SID CEO Ayelet Levin Karp told The Jerusalem Post that it is “Precisely at a time when criticism of Israel and international isolation are growing, that it is crucial to strengthen Israel’s positive contribution to the world and to insist on being part of the solution to the most pressing global challenges.”
“This moment calls for stronger partnerships, shared thinking, and recognition of the importance of Israeli humanitarian work on the international stage.”