A Massachusetts man is hoping his friend is safe after she was believed to taken hostage by Hamas.
Vivian Silver, 74, is thought to be among the hostages kidnapped from an Israeli kibbutz.
"I go back and forth between anger and tears," said Newton resident Jack Porter, who says he knew Silver when they were both starting out as leaders of a Jewish youth movement. "She probably should be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize."
Silver is known around the world for her humanitarian work, including pushing for better access to health care for Palestinians.
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She was one of the people who would meet Gaza residents at the border and take them to hospitals to meet with specialists.
"She's strong," said Porter. "She's had many contacts with Palestinians. They will Google her and know they're not talking to somebody who didn't support Palestinian rights. She did. I think they'll treat her with a lot of respect, and I think they'll let her go."
More on the conflict between Israel and Hamas
Silver's son told MSNBC that both sides need to be pressured to come up with a deal.
"We need to stop the violence now," said Yonatan Zeigen. "Vengeance is not a strategy. We need to negotiate to get the captives out."
Porter, who's an expert in Jewish history and sociology, says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took his eye off of border issues and forgot how dangerous the area can be.
"Like they're living in La La Land," he said. "And that's what happened to Israel."
