Thomas grew up in Ireland and came to Israel to volunteer at Kibbutz Be’eri. He fell in love with the kibbutz and met Liat there, and together they had Emily. When Emily was three years old, Liat died of cancer. On the morning of the massacre, Emily was sleeping at her friend Hila’s house and Thomas was informed that Emily, his eight-year-old daughter, had been murdered. About twenty days later, he was told that it was a misidentification, and after another week, he discovered that she had been kidnapped. At that moment, Thomas launched a diplomatic campaign of advocacy, which achieved tremendous success. Thanks to Thomas, the story of the hostages rose to the top of the global agenda, and Emily became the face of the hostages. Eventually, Emily was released in a deal, with the kidnappers explaining to her that it was because she has an Irish passport.
Credit: Dover Tzaal
