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Noa Argamani, a Hamas captivity survivor who was abducted from the Nova music festival and rescued in a daring operation that claimed the life of commando Arnon Zmora, after 245 days held by Hamas, was selected on Wednesday for Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Argamani was chosen alongside figures such as U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, tech mogul Elon Musk and celebrities such as Tennis icon Serena Williams, actress Blake Lively and many others.
Doug Emhoff, husband of former U.S. vice president Kamala Harris, wrote about Argamani. "The video of Noa Argamani on Oct. 7, 2023, is forever seared into my soul. She was joyfully dancing with so many others at the Nova music festival when Hamas launched its brutal terrorist attack. As she was kidnapped into Gaza on a motorcycle, her harrowing expression became a symbol of the pain and trauma Jews worldwide, myself included, continue to feel."
"Noa was held hostage for 245 days, a period she called “a pure hell.” Since her rescue, she has shown extraordinary courage and humanity in speaking out for the remaining hostages, including her partner Avinatan Or. My wife Kamala Harris and I stand with Noa in fighting for the release of all the hostages. We cannot give up until every one of them is home."
Emhoff added that Argamani's actions "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.'"
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Other prominent figures mentioned in the ranking include Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, with former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford writing about him. The former ambassador noted his past affiliations with al-Qaeda and ISIS and the fact that under his leadership, Syrian rebels managed to overthrow the previous president, Bashar Assad. Ford also mentioned that "to beat Assad, the ambitious al-Sharaa understood he had to become a political leader as well as a military force."
Other notables features include pop star Ed Sheeran, movie stars such as Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Bell, Demi Moore and Adrien Brody; Frenchwoman Gisèle Plicque, whose husband recruited 72 men to assault her; additional leaders such as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Jewish Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum; journalist and presenter Megyn Kelly; Trump administration Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.; the greatest gymnast in history, American Simone Biles; Bangladeshi economist and entrepreneur Muhammad Yunus; Facebook founder and Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg; American entrepreneur Jonathan Greenblatt, and more.