In the early hours of Saturday, October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a coordinated, massive assault on Israel, resulting in one of the deadliest attacks in the country’s history. During the operation, which Hamas named ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,’ militants breached the border, sweeping into numerous Israeli communities.
In settlements like the Kibbutz, dozens of residents were killed, and many others were abducted and taken captive into Gaza.
Among those abducted was Shoshan Haran (PhD), along with her daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren, sister-in-law, and niece. Her husband, Avshalom Haran, was killed during the attack. For fifty days, Shoshan and her family were held in Gaza before being released, except for her son-in-law, Tal Shoham, who remained in captivity for 505 days before his eventual release.
In the aftermath of the attack, Israel reported that around 250 people—including men, women, children, and the elderly—had been abducted and taken into Gaza.
For Haran, a humanitarian and agricultural scientist who had spent years supporting smallholder farmers in Africa, including in Ethiopia, captivity brought a sudden rupture to a life devoted to helping others. Her eventual release became a moment of relief, yet her story remained intertwined with the broader pain of those still waiting.
A leading seed expert, Haran’s outstanding career in plant science and agriculture spans more than three decades, pioneering Israel’s achievements in desert agriculture. She is also a Fulbright scholar, the founder and president of Fair Planet, and a member of the Advisory Board for Hostage Aid Worldwide.
As a global NGO, Fair Planet helps smallholder farmers in Africa combat hunger and poverty by providing access to climate-resilient seeds and improved farming practices. Conversely, Hostage Aid Worldwide focuses on effective global measures to secure the safe return of all hostages and end this grave violation of human rights.
Haran also co-founded ReHome, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing innovative housing solutions and financial support to the Israeli families most deeply affected by the tragedy following the October 7 attack.
From the laboratories of Jerusalem to the fields of Africa, her journey has been driven by science and a commitment to impact. She began in laboratory research, completing her PhD at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and continued with post-doctoral studies in the United States at Rutgers University.
Haran’s work in lab science laid the foundation for understanding the biological potential of seeds and their role in global agriculture. In a wide-ranging discussion with The Reporter‘s Abraham Tekle, she addressed several crucial subjects, including the primary reason for her recent trip to Ethiopia and the initial moments and emotional impact of her abduction. She also detailed the considerable, long-term changes her organization has brought to smallholder farmers in Ethiopia, discussed the lessons she passes on to Ethiopian farmers, and elaborated on whether her personal hostage experience will now shape her humanitarian identity and future advocacy for peace and aid. EXCERPTS:
The Reporter: What was the reason for your recent visit to Ethiopia?
Shoshan Haran (PhD): I was invited officially by the Israeli embassy to participate in the second anniversary commemoration of October the 7th terroristic attacks on Israel. The reason the embassy invited me is because of my long-term connections and good connections with the Ethiopian people.
On October 7, you were abducted by Hamas and held hostage for 50 days. Can you walk us through the moment you realized you were being taken and the emotions you experienced while in captivity?
On the morning of October 7, I was at home with my husband. We had gathered to celebrate a Jewish holiday with our daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren, my husband’s sister, and her daughter. They had come to stay with us for the holiday.
In the early hours, armed men attacked our community. We began hearing gunfire, explosions, and shouting in Arabic. The attackers approached our home, broke through the door and windows, and attempted to enter our safe room. They fired several bullets that penetrated the door, but my husband and son-in-law managed to hold the handle from inside, preventing them from getting in.
Soon after, the attackers used a bulldozer and explosives against the house. They launched a grenade that damaged the wall and broke open the small window of the safe room. At that point, we had no choice but to surrender. My husband and son-in-law were taken out first. Moments later, my daughter, my grandchildren, and I were pulled through the window by the attackers. We were then taken by car into Gaza and handed over to another group who held us as hostages.
And what was very clear is that they were planning to kidnap the babies, and children, and women, and old people. It was actually the first time that a terror organization used mass hostage-taking as a weapon of war. And so, we were taken into Gaza. We did not know at the time how many other people were taken hostage, nor did we know how many people they murdered. I saw that six or seven people, my friends, were murdered next to my house.
After being taken into Gaza, we were placed in houses belonging to local families. We were used as human shields — they believed that keeping hostages with them would protect them from being attacked.
What kept you hopeful during your time in captivity, and how did that experience change your outlook on life afterward?
During those weeks in captivity, what kept me hopeful was the belief that Israel would insist on the release of women and children before making any concessions. I had learned from Holocaust survivors’ stories that it is important to remain strong and not show weakness while in captivity, and I tried to follow that.
I held on to faith that we would eventually be released. I told my daughter and my sister-in-law that every day we stayed alive was another day closer to our freedom.
Only after returning to Israel did I learn that my husband, my sister and her husband had been killed. The attackers murdered 102 people from our small community — and that, across the region, 1,200 people were killed that day.
Considering your long-term commitment to humanitarian service, including your early work in Ethiopia empowering smallholder farmers, can you describe the considerable changes you brought to those farmers? What are your basic project plans now, and what is your long-term vision?
I have been involved in humanitarian and agricultural development projects in Ethiopia for several years. Our work began in 2012, when my NGO established collaborations with ten of the world’s largest seed companies in the world, as well as with Ethiopia’s EIA Research Center in Melkasa.
Our first project took place in Butajira and Meskane, where we tested a wide range of vegetable seed varieties — including locally bred varieties and others from around the world — to determine which were best suited for local farmers. We focused on crops such as tomatoes, hot peppers, cabbage, onions, and later added broccoli, cauliflower, and potatoes.
After identifying the best varieties, we worked with local bureaus of agriculture and development agents to train farmers in improved farming techniques. This included guidance on precise irrigation, fertilization, and crop management, as well as strategies for understanding market cycles to maximize income from high-quality produce.
A year later, we expanded our efforts in collaboration with Haramaya University, implementing similar projects in Dire Dawa, Haramaya, and Harar. Through this program, more than 200 villagers across Ethiopia received training, and by 2020, over 75,000 farmers had adopted high-quality seeds — a number that has since more than doubled. The food produced by these farmers now has the potential to feed approximately eight million people with fresh, high-quality vegetables.
The overarching goal of these initiatives has been to bridge the gap between the best seeds in the world and local Ethiopian farmers. Today, more seed companies and seed varieties are accessible in the country. Regional partners report significant improvements: in Butajira and Meskane, the Meki area as well as in Haramayaa and surrounding areas, farmers have achieved greater economic independence and higher incomes.
During my stay here in Ethiopia last week, my contact and local partner at Haramaya University highlighted that farmers are economically independent and reducing overproduction of staple crops and diversifying into vegetables, achieving the mission they set out on when the collaboration began. The results demonstrate tangible economic and social benefits, transforming communities and livelihoods across Ethiopia.
Given your focus on empowering farmers with seeds, tools, and knowledge to build sustainable agricultural systems, what are the most considerable, long-term changes you’ve brought to the farmers in the places where you work?
The results are very evident. We had big research by the University to evaluate the outcomes of our project. And they interviewed many farmers in all the regions that we are doing the intervention. And on average, farmers have tripled their yield.
They have tripled their yield per unit of land, but this is a result of academic research. A big survey that was done in 2021, and the results are very impressive because not only have the farmers increased their yield count, but the research found that the nutrition of the families had improved dramatically, and many more farmers’ households are able to send their children to school because they have better income and they don’t need the help of their children in the field and so on.
So, the impact is much wider than just getting more yield and more money from farming, the impact is really changing the livelihood of the family and helping them to look at a better future.
Ang again, during my stay here in Ethiopia, I learned that the impact is continuing to grow because now the farmers realize that there are things that have changed and the seed companies are competing now on prices and services to their farmers. I also met a manager of Joytech nursery, one of the biggest nurseries of vegetables in Ethiopia. And he told me that many, many, many farmers are buying from the nursery because they want to have the best seeds and seedlings to start their season and their growth production. Like I said earlier, I was very impressed by the results.
How do you measure the impact of your humanitarian aid efforts in Ethiopia?
We hired university researchers who created a big survey in Ethiopia before we started and after we finished a specific project. We were also able to get support from the Dutch government, which is also active in Ethiopia. The support allowed us not only to work on a much larger scale in East Ethiopia, but also, we measured the impact in an academic way. We did independent academic research, so now we are very sure that the impact is dramatic, positive, and long-term.
Given your background in long-term humanitarian engagement, what lessons or philosophies from your experience can you pass to Ethiopian farmers?
I think that giving farmers the freedom and choice to select the best crops and seeds for their land is paramount. This choice is enabled through objective testing, allowing them to confidently choose the right varieties to grow. Secondly, we greatly expanded our training efforts. We developed a unique on-farm training system—based on a model pioneered in Israel—which allows us to demonstrate the benefits of high-quality seeds and improved land maintenance directly on the farmers’ own fields, rather than just in demonstration plots.
I would encourage the Ethiopian government to utilize the knowledge and manuals we have developed to expand the project’s reach. Because we were working only in the west and the east, I believe this proven system should be implemented in the north and the south of Ethiopia as well.
Among the smallholder farmers you have worked with in Ethiopia, is there a particular story of transformation that stands out to you, and why did it resonate so deeply?
There are many, but farmers in Butajira have achieved the most. The impact has been remarkable. In one specific case, a farmer who was interviewed reported almost eight times more yield and a significantly higher income from his tomato field. But there are many similar stories. On average, more than 100,000 farmers have increased their yield by about three times compared to before.
This improvement is very significant, mainly because the quality of the produce is much higher than that of the old local varieties. As a result, the farmers earned much better incomes. Each one used the additional income differently. For example, a farmer in Butajira named Taji used her earnings to buy cows for milk production. Now, her main source of income is selling milk in Butajira. Each family chose its own path—some expanded their vegetable farms, while others diversified into different income-generating activities.
Looking ahead, do you believe your personal experiences will become part of your humanitarian identity? And if so, how do you intend to channel this incredible experience into your future work advocating for peace and aid?
It sure will. [I am] working with an American NGO that focuses on combating hostage-taking. We are very active in monitoring such incidents worldwide, as well as lobbying and advocating against hostage-taking and the financing of terrorism. Our goal is to help eliminate this horrific weapon of war. In addition, I’m assisting families in Israel who are recovering from the trauma of hostage situations. I founded an NGO that supports families who were severely affected, helping them rebuild their lives and regain stability. That is the focus of much of my current work.
Do you have any future plans or projects you intend to launch in Ethiopia?
We will assess whether further involvement is necessary, especially in light of the results I heard last week. The encouraging news is that the activity continues even without our direct participation — which was our greatest hope from the start. So, we will remain in contact with the Israeli Embassy, and if needed, we will provide additional support in the form of knowledge, experience, and training. For now, it appears that the impact is sustainable, but we will continue to monitor the situation and assist when necessary.
