Holding Liat

2/15/2026

There are so many documentaries about the broader political philosophies and the generations and centuries of hate and mistrust that have built up in the Middle East for aeons, but there are remarkably few that distill the issues down to the human factors that really matter. This is one. It tells us the story of Liat Atzili and her husband Aviv who were taken from their home by Hamas in order to be used as hostages. They are not alone, but two from over two hundred taken as leverage for the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel. Of course her family are horrified, terrified and frustrated by the lack of information as authorities in Jerusalem and Washington DC (she is an American citizen) try to find out who took them, where they are and whether or not they are safe. The drip feeding