Emily Damari, Gali and Ziv Berman get a kick out of the World Cup in New York
Side by side in the Big Apple, freed hostages cheer on England team
Former hostages Emily Damari and best friends Gali and Ziv Berman have been celebrating England’s latest World Cup victory in New York City in scenes that would have once been beyond the wildest dreams of their supporters.
Damari, held captive by Hamas in Gaza for fifteen months, is a passionate Tottenham Hotspur fan, whilst the twin brothers are huge supporters of Liverpool FC.
The England vs. Panama match was part of a fou-day visit to the US.
A family friend told Jewish News: “The England game was a dream for them. This is a real symbol of resilience and freedom seeing the three of them celebrating England in USA at the World Cup. It’s inspirational.”
The trio were kidnapped together in Damari’s car on 7 October 2023 from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
Emily Damari was released after 471 days in captivity in the first phase of a hostage release-ceasefire deal on January 19, 2025. After 738 days, the twins were freed on October 13, 2025, amongst a group of 20 surviving hostages released as part of the third hostage-release deal negotiated between Israel and Hamas.
Against a backdrop of Elton John’s ‘I’m still standing’ and roars of ‘She’s one of our own’, Damari received a hero’s welcome from more than 200 Spurs fans when she finally visited White Hart Lane on May 11th 2025.
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