Mother of former hostage on Sara Netanyahu: 'She came with a stylist'

Einav Zangauker, mother of released hostage Matan, gave an interview to Channel 13 in which she expressed disappointment in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara. She described a meeting where Sara arrived with a stylist, and claimed that the families' pain was being used for PR. Zangauker also discussed cooperation with Shin Bet and a failed attempt to join the 'Democrats' party.

Einav Zangauker, mother of released hostage Matan Zangauker, gave an interview to Channel 13 detailing the dramatic moments of the struggle to bring her son back from Hamas captivity. She described a worldview shift: before October 7, she considered herself a far-right supporter, but after her son's abduction, she reconsidered her beliefs and trust in the country's leadership. In the first days after the attack, the family could not obtain accurate information; at one point, she was told there was a 60% probability that Matan had been killed. A key moment was the meeting with the prime minister and his wife. According to Zangauker, Sara Netanyahu arrived at the meeting with a stylist, while the prime minister spoke extensively about himself and his past. Zangauker stated that she saw neglect and a sense that their pain was being used for PR. She acknowledged that, contrary to claims by other families, Netanyahu personally called her after her request for a meeting. While her son was in Gaza, Zangauker cooperated with Shin Bet, which recorded an appeal in Arabic for the captors. After Matan's return, she hoped for a spot on the 'Democrats' party list, but chairman Yair Golan declined to reserve seats, and she did not make the list. Zangauker expressed regret over this but stated she has not given up on her aspiration to participate in political life.