NFL legends make emotional trip to Israel in push for hostages' release

A brace of NFL legends and erstwhile Kansas City Chiefs teammates precocious traveled to Israel to property the lawsuit for Israeli and American hostages held captive by Hamas.

Nick Lowery, 1 of the league's all-time top placekickers, and erstwhile prima fullback Tony Richardson returned from the five-day trip, sponsored by Athletes for Israel, earlier this month. Weeks later, a diplomatic breakthrough resulted successful the merchandise of 3 hostages and the committedness of much to come. Lowery, the Chiefs' all-time starring scorer and, similar Richardson, a subordinate of the team's Hall of Fame, told Fox News Digital that making a quality disconnected the tract is much important than what helium achieved successful his illustrious gridiron career.

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"What is simply a Hall of Famer?" said Lowery, who played assemblage shot astatine Dartmouth and went connected to gain a postgraduate grade from Harvard. "There’s 1 connected the field, and past there’s your publication to your community. In the end, that’s your legacy."

Amit Levy holds up a representation of his sister, Naama, successful beforehand of the U.S. Capitol astatine the March to Bring Them Home connected Dec. 8. 2024. (Leigh Vogel for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

The 68-year-old Lowery's absorption these days is connected combating antisemitism and racism, and advocating for the merchandise of Hamas hostages, specified arsenic Naama Levy, 20. Levy was abducted from the Nahal Oz base, little than a kilometer from Gaza, wherever she was stationed arsenic a surveillance worker connected October 7, 2023. The Times of Israel reported that 15 surveillance soldiers were killed that day, and six were taken hostage.

Footage released by Hamas shows a violent dragging Levy by her hairsbreadth into a Jeep. Her hands were bound, her ankles cut, her look bleeding and her sweatpants were blood-stained.
Lowery stated successful a video posted to societal media, "Naama can’t speak. But we, athletes of the world, indispensable talk for her now."

Lowery is portion of the #SportSpeaksUp campaign, led by Eric Rubin, CEO of Project Max, a question dedicated to warring racism, antisemitism and intolerance done sports. The run is supported by Athletes for Israel, a nonprofit enactment that brings legendary sports figures to the Holy Land.

Naama Levy enjoys moving successful triathlons, similar her begetter and grandfather.

In Israel, Lowery met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana and Israel Defense Forces soldiers. He besides visited the tract of the Nova euphony festival massacre, which helium called "overwhelming." He said, "There are the pictures of these people, afloat of life, 2 thirds of them women, perfectly beautiful, afloat of life, and determination were flowers and offerings of emotion and enactment for their memory."

Lowery was re-baptized astatine the Sea of Galilee and visited the Western Wall, which helium said was a profoundly spiritual experience.

"As a Christian, simply touching the wall, it feels similar you're connecting to God," Lowery said.

Lowery and Richardson besides took a circuit of Hostage Square successful Tel Aviv, wherever they observed an extended meal array with 200 seats decorated to grant each hostage. The seat for Levy was decorated with flowers.

They sat with Levy’s father, Yoni, and her brother, Amit, 22. Lowery said Yoni Levy spoke of however overmuch his girl loves to bring airy and laughter to people, her imaginativeness to go a peacemaker, and her beardown volition and competitory spirit.

Amit Levy told Fox News Digital that helium could archer Lowery enjoyed proceeding astir his sister.

"I deliberation everyone who hears astir her tin consciousness her spot and is truly inspired by her," Amit Levy said.

Levy is simply a fun-loving teen who grew up successful Israel and India and is adjacent with her family, which besides includes her mother, who is the doc for the Israeli nationalist shot team; 16-year-old sister, Michal; and brother, Omri, 12, according to Amit Levy. He said his sister loves attending parties and laughing with friends, successful summation to being "a precise motivation girl" with a caring nature, devoted to helping others and advocating for peace.

Levy was a diplomacy large successful precocious schoolhouse and aboriginal volunteered erstwhile a week astatine a kindergarten for African refugees successful confederate Israel for 10 months.

"She had a large transportation with the children there," Amit Levy recalled.

Naama Levy volunteered astatine a kindergarten for African refugees successful confederate Israel.

Levy is an idealist who participated successful the "Hands of Peace" delegation that encouraged Israeli and Palestinian younker to enactment unneurotic to make change, according to her brother.

"I would archer her that possibly successful definite points she mightiness beryllium a spot naïve, due to the fact that the satellite sometimes isn’t specified a pleasant place," helium said.

He besides recalled how, arsenic an simple schoolhouse student, his sister utilized to awaken their parents astatine 5 a.m. to instrumentality her to triathlon competitions, similar their begetter and grandfather, who continues to vie arsenic helium approaches the property of 80.

The past clip her household received quality astir Levy was successful December 2023, erstwhile recently released pistillate hostages recounted seeing her successful the tunnels beneath Gaza. "They said she was injured from grenade shrapnel inactive successful her leg, due to the fact that determination were grenades thrown astatine her and her friends astatine the bomb structure connected October 7," Amit Levy said.

It has been astir 500 days since Levy and much than 100 others were abducted. Amit Levy described however the released hostages "could consciousness her spot and her astonishing property from the abbreviated clip they got to conscionable her," which gave him and his household "air to breathe." 

However, determination person been nary consequent reports astir her.

"I consciousness truthful honored to cognize these people. They’re successful my bosom now." - Nick Lowery, erstwhile NFL star

Levy's household members find anticipation by reminding themselves of however beardown she is "physically and particularly mentally" and that she knows her ngo is to survive.

Lowery besides visited the shot tract successful the Druze municipality of Majdal Shams successful the Golan Heights, wherever 12 Druze children and teenagers were killed, and astatine slightest 42 injured by a Hezbollah rocket connected July 27, 2024. There, Lowery comforted Jwan Ibraheem, a 13-year-old lad who was crying due to the fact that helium blamed himself for not being capable to prevention his person who was killed.

Rubin described however the radical went onto the tract wherever calamity struck and started playing shot with the kids, and suddenly, adjacent if conscionable for a moment, they forgot astir their sadness and grief. He said it felt similar fractional of the municipality came retired and "the acheronian evaporated."

Lowery marveled astatine the resilience of the Israelis helium met, characterizing their corporate cognition arsenic "no one’s going to instrumentality my light." Even close aft aerial raids, radical were surfing and having cocktails astatine the beach, helium noted.

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Lowery said that lasting up for Jewish radical is successful his "emotional DNA," due to the fact that his grandma documented atrocities astatine the Dachau attraction campy successful Germany. He is dedicated to bringing Jews and Christians together, and helium and Rubin expressed however they are committed to continuing to conscionable with these families.

"I consciousness truthful honored to cognize these people. They’re successful my bosom now," Lowery said. "Maybe shot is simply a pugnacious sport, but this is the astir important enactment we've ever done.... We’re bonded for life."