Maya Regev, a survivor of the October 7 Hamas attacks and a former hostage, spoke at the University of Texas at Austin, directly addressing the views of Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who also appeared on campus.

Piker, who has faced backlash for past comments, including remarks about sexual violence during the October 7 attacks, presented to students in an auditorium. Regev shared her personal account at the campus's Chabad student center, located about half a mile from Piker's venue.

Regev described her experience being taken hostage after attending the Nova music festival. She recounted being shot in the leg during the attack and held captive in Gaza for 50 days. During her captivity, she endured excruciating pain from a severe leg injury and a botched surgery. She also bore witness to the death of another hostage, Guy Iluz, who died from his wounds while in her hospital room, denied adequate medical care.

Her brother, Itay, was also shot and held hostage, eventually released. However, their friend Ori Danino, who Regev states drove back for them during the attack, was killed in a tunnel in Rafah in August 2024, along with five other hostages. Regev noted that Piker's comments have dismissed the severity of these events, including UN findings of rape and sexual torture.

Regev cited Piker's previous statements, including one where he wrote, "Hamas is a thousand times better than the fascist settler colonial apartheid state” of Israel, and another where he stated, “I would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time.”

"I did not go to Texas to debate Hasan Piker — you cannot debate a person who tells you that rape does not matter," Regev stated. "But we have a problem if Americans are more interested in hearing the words of a rape and terror apologist than the testimony of a victim of the ideology he advocates."

Regev emphasized her motivation for speaking out: "When I was in Gaza, the people holding me wanted one thing from me: silence. The truth does not speak for itself. Somebody has to say it."

She concluded by asserting Piker's right to free speech but questioned the platform he receives. "The right to speak does not confer the right to be handed a stage, a lecture hall, an interview, or a place in anyone’s political campaign. A man like this can claim only one thing: your attention. Americans must decide whether he gets it."

Piker's event at the University of Texas reportedly sold out its 460 seats within 20 minutes, with an additional 2,500 people joining a waiting list.