He was five when he watched his first public execution. The crowd cheered. The body hung in the square. And like the other children in Khan Yunis that day, Ayman Abu Subuh — now Dor Shachar — was taught to hate Jews, Israel, Christians, and the whole world.

Decades later, Shachar lives in Israel, not only with a new name but a new religion. But with the recent release of his memoir “From Gaza to Tel Aviv” in English, he’s less focused on his personal journey. Shachar is intent on warning the West about the enemy he says it still doesn’t understand.

“I would be thrilled if this book reached President Trump, that he would read it and understand what is really happening in Gaza,” Shachar told The Press Service of Israel.

“I wrote this book so the world — especially the West — would wake up and start understanding the truth. Who the people of Gaza really are. What’s really waiting for them, too. Some Western countries are already deep inside this problem, whether they realize it or not.”

The memoir traces Shachar’s harrowing journey from Khan Yunis. Raised in a violent family and educated in a system of hatred, he ran away from home as a teenager and was eventually taken in by an Israeli family and given a second chance at life. He eventually converted to Judaism.

But the book’s deeper message lies in what Shachar exposes about the nature of the Hamas regime and the people of Gaza. This includes what he describes as the dangers of a negotiated end to the war and the return of hostages.

Negotiations are ‘Feeding the Monster’

“I grew up there. I was held in prison there. I know exactly what the Israeli hostages are going through. And I say this clearly: trying to free them through negotiations is a mistake. What we’re hearing now about another deal — a 60-day ceasefire, massive humanitarian aid, terrorist releases — it’s a disaster,” Shachar insists. “It’s feeding the monster that will strike again the moment it regains strength. You don’t make deals with the devil.”

Shachar describes his memoir as another tool in his broader mission: “To be a messenger to the entire world, thanks to the insights I bring. The story of Israel and Gaza is simple: There is truth, and there is lies. There is light, and there is darkness. The people of Gaza chose death. They chose hate. Not just against Jews — against Christians too.”

That clarity, he says, is sorely missing in the international conversation. In his public lectures worldwide, Shachar says he finds a hunger for truth.

“People come up to me afterward and say, ‘We had no idea. Thank you for showing us what no one else is saying.’ That’s why I knew the book had to come out in English. It’s not about me. It’s about getting the truth out.”

Among the most controversial claims in the book is Shachar’s assertion that there are no truly innocent civilians in Gaza.

“I know, people tell me — but what about the innocent Gazans? And I say this with certainty: there are no innocents in Gaza. If there were, Hamas would have been overthrown long ago. People would be in the streets protesting, throwing the Hamas thugs off rooftops,” Shachar says.

“But what did we see on October 7th? We saw people cheering, hugging terrorists, celebrating in the streets while hostages were dragged through Gaza. I know what I saw, I know where I grew up. There are no innocents. And that’s why you cannot negotiate with them,” he insists.

“These people aren’t hiding their intentions. They say it openly: once they’re done with the Jews, they’ll move on to the Christians. And the West still doesn’t get it.”

Asked what impact he hopes the book will have, he returns to the idea of mission.

“If this book helps someone in Europe or America — or even someone in the White House — realize who we’re really dealing with, then it will have been worth it,” Shachar says.

At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 50 remaining hostages, around 30 are believed to be dead.

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