Liran Berman describes his brothers, Gali and Ziv, as the life of the party.
The twins, Gali and Ziv, were abducted from their Kibbutz Kfar Aza home. Liran Berman told Digital that his brothers were lighting technicians, which suited their personalities.
Unlike many Israelis in their 20s who relocate to urban centers like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Gali and Ziv chose to remain in their family’s home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza to support their mother in caring for their father, who suffers from dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Liran told Digital that his brothers were taken from their beds early on a Saturday during a holiday weekend.
The Berman brothers were kidnapped together, but the family learned from released hostages that they were separated soon after arriving in Gaza, a fate shared by other siblings like Iair Horn, who was freed in February 2025 but had to leave his brother, Eitan, behind.
“This is the longest they’ve been apart,” Liran told Digital. Gali and Ziv were kidnapped along with Emily Damari, who was released during the latest ceasefire. Liran mentioned to Digital that he hadn’t yet spoken with Emily since her release.
“Gali and Ziv are innocent victims of this conflict,” Liran told Digital.
The Berman family received confirmation that Gali and Ziv were alive after they had been held in Gaza for over a year. Before this confirmation from freed hostages, Liran said his family “fought with the belief that my brothers were alive.”
“It was a relief. For more than a year, we held onto the belief that they were alive because we had no information from November ‘23 until late January ’25,” Liran told Digital. “Knowing they are alive gives us strength; it’s no longer just a belief.”
Liran believes that President has the influence to secure his brothers’ release, telling Digital that Trump’s election created a “different atmosphere” for negotiations.
“We are impressed by what President Trump has accomplished in his short time in office, and we remain hopeful that the current administration will bring home all the remaining hostages, as they promised. This gives us a lot of strength,” Liran told Digital, also calling himself a “firm believer in the Trump effect.”
Regarding the renewed anti-Israel protests on U.S. college campuses, Liran told Digital that he wants the students to see the similarities between themselves and Gali and Ziv, noting they are of similar ages and likely share interests.
“I want them to know that Gali and Ziv have their whole lives ahead of them,” Liran told Digital. “And I want them to know that Gali and Ziv are missed by so many people.”
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