Recalling his experience at the game, Poterman who is a Liverpool fan along with Miran, told the JC: “I was told by the stewards that I couldn’t raise the banner because it was a ‘political issue’.
“So I had the option of giving them the banner and staying in the stadium or taking the banner and leave the stadium.
[Missing Credit]
“I asked them: ‘What’s political about it? It is just a humanitarian matter’. But they didn’t want to get into a debate about it so I just left. It seemed ridiculous.”
Poterman, from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, added: “The case here was simply a case of a Liverpool supporter needing support from fans and the club. Saying that Omri needs to come back to his family is not taking a political stance, it’s just humanity you know.
“The response from the club has been disappointing, they can actually help here I think.
“A statement from the club saying ‘Omri is one of our own, we want him back’ would go a long way or for the banner to be hung from Anfield until he comes back.”
Poterman along with his family survived the 7th October massacre. He was trapped in a safe room for 17 hours with his wife Maria and eight-month old baby while terrorists were inside his house, trying to break in.
Omri Miran (Photo: Elad Poterman)[Missing Credit]
The family were miraculously saved by a rare metal latch inside the safe room, preventing terrorists from getting in. IDF soldiers found the family later that evening and were evacuated.
Poterman said: “It was a terrible experience. We were very quiet for hours. My wife was in one hand holding my baby girl and the other a knife. I was holding an axe as well just in case they broke in.”
Meanwhile, his cousin Miran and his family were woken by the sounds of sirens going off across the Kibbutz in the early hours of October 7. Omri and Lishay put their girls Roni, two, and Alma, six months old, into their safe room.
At 10:30am, the window in the family bathroom was kicked in and Hamas terrorists entered their house.
The terrorists then decided to take the Mirans to their neighbour’s house, where they were held at gunpoint.
Terrifying footage released by Hamas shows Lavi holding Alma in the kitchen of her neighbours' home.
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In the clip, Lavi flinches while holding her daughter as a gunshot is heard in the background. The shadows of Hamas gunmen can be seen walking around the family.
Omri is then taken away to his car and driven away to Gaza by the group.
Poterman, who has been friends with Miran for nine years, said: “He’s a great guy, one who you want to have a beer with.”
Elad Poterman was told by stewards to leave unless he handed over the banner (Photo: Elad Poterman)[Missing Credit]
Asked about his thoughts about the kidnapping, he said: “It’s a complex question because Omri’s kidnapping was one bit of news that I received then.
“When I was evacuated and started receiving news - it was like this family was slaughtered and this guy was missing.
“From that point on, I received information about somebody who was murdered or killed every two hours and that went on for 12 days.
Elad Poterman with his wife Maria and six month old daughter (Photo: Elad Poterman)[Missing Credit]
“As far as things go, it’s too much. It’s overwhelming to the point where you can’t keep it in your head so it’s more and more terrible.”
Asked about whether he will continue to be a Liverpool fan after his treatment by the club, he said: “If you asked me before the 6th October, I would have said yes but now I don’t know what I am.
“The entire ethos of the club is ‘You'll Never Walk Alone’, but this certainly doesn’t seem to be the case here. They need to remember their own identity. I felt pain and disappointment.”
Liverpool FC declined to comment.
