A special rally is being held today outside Tottenham Hotspurs’ football stadium in north London to call for the release British hostage Emily Damari.
Damari, who marked her 28th birthday in captivity this year, was a big Spurs fan and, as the JC has reported, enjoyed watching the football and drinking pints with her friends.
The rally today, taking place between 11.30 and 2pm outside the Spurs shop, was organised by Stop the Hate UK.
On October 7 2023, Damari was taken from her home on Kibbutz Kfar Aza by terrorists, and her beloved dog, Choocha, was shot.
Since then, she has missed her grandfather’s death in London earlier this year, births, weddings and the numerous birthdays of her many friends.
The youngest of four siblings, Emily is the “light and life” of her family and friendsm according to those who knew her and, as the host of the “best barbeques on the kibbutz” and armed with her sharp wit, her home was frequently full of people eager to be in her presence.
Emily has always remained close to her British roots too, her family says, and loves visiting London with her mum to engage in all-too British pastimes, such as visiting Primark, attending Ed Sheeran and Adele concerts, and cheering on her favourite football team, Tottenham Hotspurs, in the pub.
Former hostages, who were held captive with her, have testified to Emily’s unyielding bravery in the face of impossible circumstances, raising the spirits of her fellow captives in the dark tunnels of Gaza by leading singalongs of Boker Shel Kef (it’s a great morning) every day.
It has been a long time since any more reports of her condition have surfaced. Her mother, Mandy, has existed through a “living nightmare”, she said, not knowing “what torture” – from starvation to sexual abuse – Emily is being subjected to at the hands of terrorists.
Mandy Damari, 63, was born in Surrey and travelled to Israel to volunteer in her 20s. There, she fell in love and got married to an Israeli, had four children and eventually four grandchildren, living happily for over 30 years on Kibbutz Kfar Aza where she taught English as a nursery schoolteacher in her free time. That was until October 7, when her life was “turned upside down”.
