This interview of Izhar Lifshitz took place in front of a live audience of US military cadets, in Poland. The delegates had traveled to Poland as part of the annual Israel Strategy & Policy (I-SAP) tour, 2024, a flagship initiative of The MirYam Institute. All of the delegates will serve as officers in the U.S army, navy, air-force and marine corps. 
Izhar Lifshitz is the son of the oldest Israeli hostage in Gaza - still presumed to be alive - Oded Lifshitz (83). 
On October 7th, both Izhar's parents, Oded and Yocheved (85), were kidnapped by Hamas. Yocheved was released shortly thereafter and returned to Israel, where she gave an impromptu press conference describing the conditions of her captivity, the tunnels in which she was kept and the brutality of the way in which Hamas transported her from her home in Israel into the Gaza Strip. 
Since October 7th, Yocheved has lived on without her husband and Izhar has lived on without his father. All that is known about Oded Lifshitz is that he was injured when kidnapped, that he suffers from high blood pressure, and that he is in poor physical condition. 
In this incredibly candid discussion, Izhar outlines his motivations for keeping going, his assessment of the fate of his father and - somehow - he still manages to maintain his optimism, sense of humor and resolve. 
To learn more about the annual I-SAP tour visit: https://www.miryaminstitute.org/isap

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