Former Hamas hostage Noa Argamani has been featured as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2025.
Argamani, who made it into this year’s “leaders” category, is among several Jewish people to be chosen for the esteemed list.
The 27-year-old was abducted from the Nova music festival by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 and the clip of her being ripped away from her partner, Avinatan Or, and driven into Gaza on the back of a motorbike has become one of the most enduring images of the massacre.
She was held in Hamas captivity for 246 days, which she described as “pure hell”, but was rescued during a joint operation by the IDF, Shin Bet, and Israel Police last June. Since then, she has become a powerful advocate for those still held in captivity, including Or.
In February 2025, Argamani made history by becoming the first released hostage to brief a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, recounting her experience in captivity.
She has travelled around the world to highlight the plight of the hostages and advocate for their release, particularly in the United States. In March this year, she was invited by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to attend Donald Trump’s 2025 speech to a joint session of Congress and, the next day, met the President at the White House.
Noa Argamani (2nd L) listen as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol, July 24, 2024 (Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Getty Images
Doug Emhoff, the husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris, wrote the tribute to Argamani for Time, saying that the footage of her capture is “forever seared into my soul”.
Emhoff, who is himself Jewish, wrote that “her harrowing expression became a symbol of the pain and trauma Jews worldwide, myself included, continued to feel”.
He continued: “Since her rescue, she has shown extraordinary courage and humanity in speaking out for the remaining hostages, including her partner Avinatan Or.”
Her advocacy, he added, “has illuminated Hamas’ extreme brutality, but more importantly, her bravery has embodied Jewish resilience and strength even in the worst moments. She is living proof to the world that, despite everything, ‘we will dance again’”.
Noa ArgamaniAFP via Getty Images
Posting the announcement to social media, Argamani said she was “deeply honoured” to be included in the Time list, and “grateful that this recognition continues to shine a light on the hostage crisis and the horrific attacks of October 7,” adding: “It’s a powerful reminder of the urgent need to keep speaking out. I’m especially humbled to serve as a voice for the hostages who remain in captivity – those who can’t speak for themselves.
“My life changed forever on October 7. I spent 246 days as a hostage, stripped of freedom and control.
“Since my rescue, I’ve made a promise to do everything in my power to bring the others home – including my love, my partner, Avinatan Or, who is still being held in the tunnels of Gaza. There are still 59 hostages in Gaza. Innocent people. They need us. We must not stop. Bring Them all Home now.”
Elsewhere, several other high-profile Jews have also made the list, including Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody.
Howard Lutnick, US Secretary of Commerce (Image: Getty)Getty Images
Renowned Canadian astronomer Wendy Freedman, President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum and US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, were also named, as was Argentine President Javier Millei who, though not Jewish himself, has closely identified with the Jewish community, claims to read the Torah daily and has said that he once contemplated converting.
Adrien Brody attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party (Picture: Getty)Getty Images
Other names included Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies, and Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock.
The annual list is curated by the editors of Time Magazine and involves a year-long process of nominations and debate to whittle down a group of individuals who have significantly influenced global events, culture, innovation or public opinion in the past year – for better or worse – according to the magazine.
