Hostages’ Family Blasts King For Claim He Helped Get Them Freed

Judith and Natalie Raanan, residents of Evanston, Illinois who were released by Hamas terrorists on Friday, blasted far-left activist Shaun King for falsely claiming that Natalie’s family asked him to help find her and bring her to safety.

“Natalie and her family are supporters of mine, protested against police brutality in the United States with me, and have spoken out against injustice in Israel,” he wrote. “I believe we have confirmed that she was NOT killed in Israel, but we are just asking for proof of life right now.”

He claimed that he had the ability to “confidentially help broker her return.”

After the two were released, he doubled down on his claims.

“As I said last week, Natalie and her family have been supporters of mine and protested police violence in America alongside us,” he said. “I am also thankful for the Qatari government for helping to negotiate this. Dozens of us worked frantically behind the scenes to help make this possible. I spoke to Natalie’s family this afternoon and they are anxiously awaiting more updates.”

Journalist Yashar Ali posted a translated statement from the family about King’s claims.

“Today we came across bizarre posts on the Instagram page of one Shaun King, who turns out to have millions of followers, who claims that our relative Natalie Raanan supports the anti-Israeli messages he uploads to his page,” the statement began. “First and foremost, we make it clear that he is lying! Our family does not and did not have anything to do with him, neither directly nor indirectly. Not to him and not to anything he claims to represent.”

“Natalie told us that this morning it was the first time in her life that she came across Shaun King’s name and his posts, after she finally got a phone call after two horrific weeks in captivity in Gaza, and was looking for what was written about her while she was away,” the family continued. “Shaun King is trying to catch a ride on the great exposure that her kidnapping received all over the world and in the U.S. in particular, and the most ridiculous thing is that Natalie and her mother Judith are very active in Rabbi Hecht’s Jewish community in Chicago and in the Chabad house, and if Shaun King knew them or their family he would know that.”