Qaid Farhan al-Qadi, 52, the Bedouin Israeli Arab Muslim hostage whom Israeli soldiers rescued from a Hamas tunnel in Gaza on Tuesday, thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the “sacred” work the soldiers had done.
The Government Press Office published a transcript of their telephone conversation, as al-Qadi, the first Israeli hostage to be rescued from within a tunnel, was treated in Soroka Hospital in Beersheba after being rescued.
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “Farhan, hello to you my friend. Welcome back!”
Farhan Qadi: “Hello; welcome. Hello Bibi, Abu [father of] Yair!”
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “Farhan, I am so happy to speak with you.”
Farhan Qadi: “I am also happy. I have been waiting for this moment. I swear to you, Abu Yair.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “Tell me, have you already met with your family?”
Farhan Qadi: “Yes, two of my children are here.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “I want you to know that we are truly moved from the depth of our hearts, for both you and your family.”
Farhan Qadi: “I thank you for this work, that you have reached a situation in which I see my family and am here. You truly did sacred work. There are other people who are waiting.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “I want you to know that are not forgetting anyone, just like we did not forget you. We are committed to returning everyone, without exception.”
Farhan Qadi: “I thank you very much. I invite you, Abu Yair.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “Thank you. I would like you to embrace your family and I want you to know that the entire people of Israel embraces you, and the others. We will bring them.”
Farhan Qadi: “Thank you. May it be G-d’s will. Thank you very much.”
The freed hostage also spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose office released the following statement:
President Isaac Herzog spoke this evening with Qaid Farhan al-Qadi, a resident of Rahat who was abducted on October 7th and rescued today by security forces from captivity in Gaza. Qaid Farhan is currently receiving treatment at Soroka University Medical Center.
The President emotionally said to him: “Dear Farhan, how moving it is to hear your voice! Our brother has come home. Our brother has returned!”
Farhan thanked the President and responded: “I am grateful to the State of Israel, to the army, who came. People are suffering there. Do everything you can to bring people home. Work 24 hours, don’t sleep until they return. People are really suffering, you can’t imagine. Suddenly, I heard someone speaking Hebrew outside the door, I couldn’t believe it, I couldn’t believe it. I thank you very much. This is thanks to our army, they are doing a sacred duty, risking their lives. Thank you very much, Mr. President.”
The President replied: “You went through hell there, I understand, it’s hard. The most important thing is to bring everyone back. Thank God you’ve returned, and now you can see your entire big family. We are very, very proud of the army, the Shin Bet, and all the forces that took part in this amazing operation. There are still so many brothers and sisters there, and we want them all home, the entire nation of Israel is with us. The entire country, the entire state. Welcome back, dear brother, and good health.”
A-Qadi was described as thin but in stable condition after his rescue, which was described as a complex operation.
Many Bedouin Arabs, who are Muslim, serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and are loyal to the Jewish state.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
